


Coup de Foudre

by Coocoo96



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Ballet, F/M, Family, Heartbreak, Love, Romance, School, Struggle, dance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2020-10-04 12:23:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 37,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20470985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coocoo96/pseuds/Coocoo96
Summary: Avery comes back from Russia 3 years after she's been sent to improve her ballet skills. Once in Paris again, she has to start a whole new year at her old school. After acing her audition, she's scouted to model for Gabriel Agreste but is reluctant to accept his offer. She's already busy enough with her strict ballet schedule and now has to take care of her sick mother as well. Besides, she came back to Paris, to live again. To enjoy life, make new friends, and maybe even fall in love. But on the other hand, she came back to forget everything. Being busy might as well be pretty good for her.





	1. Home

Paris was as loud as ever. The sound of cars driving over cobbled streets and muffled conversations in at least a dozen different languages at nearby cafés were echoing through the streets. The sound of waiters clearing up the plates, and the clinking of glasses filled with wine. Everything was just the same. Paris, the city of lights, was illuminated at night, luring out its true charms.

A girl walked on the sidewalk, dragging her suitcase behind her, a big sports bag over her shoulders. Her Chelsea boots clicked in a slow rhythm with every stride she took, giving her a beat to hum a melody. She wore black leggings and a simple black long-sleeve, a light blue denim jacket over the top. Her soft strawberry blonde strands flew all the way down to her back, stopping in a line around her hips. She stopped for a moment, taking in the joyful atmosphere of the street. It was strange, being back again after so long. Despite how long she'd been away, she still remembered everything about the place; the wide sidewalks, the same gothic-styled buildings, small cafes, and popular flea markets with adorable souvenirs, the soft tinkling of the wind chimes when you walked through while laughing with your friends. Except that now, she didn't have any friends anymore. At least she thought so. She wasn't sure any of them waited that long.

Paris was a city of wide avenues and small places to sit and relax as folk went by about their day. There were tall apartment buildings, luxurious shopping centers, churches, and various monuments. The rest was just parks, surrounded by forked fences, and old iron gates. Yet, her favorite thing was the river that flowed through the center, crossing the bridges, pausing just to look at the view. She made a small mental reminder to do that in the near future.

One of her favorite pastimes was skating around the city, stopping at specific spots to relax and just think. She hasn't stepped on a skateboard in years though. Maybe, just maybe, she could do that again one time. Now that she was back, she will be able to do things she wasn't able to in Russia. She will not have to abide by the strict dorm rules and have more free time. After spending three years in Bolshoi, she will finally be able to find friends outside ballet and even go to a normal school once again.

She walked up to the building and made her way to the third floor, dragging her luggage behind her on the steps. Positioning herself in front of the door, she raised her hand to ring the doorbell but then stopped as a feeling of butterflies built up in her stomach. She took a deep breath and forced herself to hit the button. 

Almost immediately, there was a sound of someone running to get the door. 

_Oh, God._

Her hands started to shake.

The wooden door opened slowly, and her mother's warm, loving face was revealed. Suddenly, all the lines she'd practiced the whole way on the plane, abandoned her brain. She couldn't figure out what to say as the feeling of tears dwelling in her eyes and the sweet face of her loving mother were the only things she could focus on. But before any words could come out her mouth, she was pulled in a tight hug. Her hands folded around her back, drawing the girl even closer. The woman shook, crying for the missed time they could never make back, crying to release the tension of these three long years.

"Avery."

She pressed her head into her mother's shoulder, the tears wetting her blue sweater. "Mom," she cried out, hugging her back. The woman pulled back after a while, wiping the tears away, not taking her eyes off her daughter while running a hand through her hair as if she couldn't quite believe that she wasn't a part of a dream. This wasn't a dream. Her baby was back. The woman’s cold hand moved over to the girl's rosy cheeks, wiping the tears with her thumb.

"Don't go again. Please," she whispered, a small smile crept up her lips as she saw her daughter nod. And so, the two embraced once again.

Moments later, they pulled away again and the woman turned around to hide her tears.

Avery took a look at her rather skinny mother who motioned her to come in, her brown hair cut in a charming pixie cut. Even though she had a sweater over her nightgown, she still looked cold. She lost weight.

Was everything okay?

"You cut your hair." her mother nodded.

"Yeah. I did. Yours grew a lot." 

Avery took a look at her strawberry blonde locks. They reached all the way down to her hips, just like she always wanted. _Damn_, it’s been three years since she vowed to keep them healthy and brush them every day. Her friends actually kept reminding her to massage her scalp to speed up the results. Oh, boy. She remembered how jealous she was of the other girls with their hair touching their elbows when hers only reached a little bit past her shoulders.

_Time sure flies, huh?_

"I guess it did."

Avery entered the apartment, tossing the heavy sports bag off her shoulders and pulled the heavy suitcase inside. Taking a few steps inside, she looked around the dark living room. Everything was exactly the same as she remembered. She wouldn't call it huge and luxurious, like the ones people usually imagined on Pinterest, but it wasn't small and crummy either. The two-story apartment was her first home and she still adored it. Even if it didn't feel so homey anymore.

The sofa, the coffee table, and the dining table were still in the same places. Even the paintings were hung in the same place. It felt as if she never left. One of the floor lamps was left on, illuminating the sofa and the big philodendron next to it. The girl supposed her mother was reading a book while waiting for her to arrive. She shook her head and smiled. 

_'It's really like nothing had changed.'_

"Do you want me to help you carry these?"

"Nah, I got it," Avery replied with a small smile. "You can go to bed."

”Tell me, dear, how in the world did you manage to pick up these manners!? You were like a wild wolf before you left!”

The girl shot her a wide grin. “I guess being threatened a few times by my teachers did the trick.”

Her mom’s face fell as she heard that, knowing the true meaning behind it. She opened her mouth to say something but then forced herself to close it again, not wanting to reawaken the painful memories. Her daughter had suffered enough. She didn’t want her to have a nightmare the first night she came back. “Okay, I’ll give you some time...You must be exhausted. Goodnight,” she lifted herself up on her toes to plant a kiss on Avery’s forehead, noticing the way she’s overgrown her before leaving for the bedroom.

“Night.” 

The strawberry blonde stood still until she heard the click of the door closing before dragging her luggage to the stairs and tried to be as quiet as she could, cursing her excellent packing skills and the heavy suitcase every few steps. Once finally on the next floor, she rushed into her room and dropped on her bed, feeling like she could faint on the floor if she didn’t reach it in time.

Being exhausted from the flight, she closed for a moment and was about to fall asleep when her phone lit up beside her with a small _ding_. She grabbed the device, squinting her eyes as the blue light almost blinded her, and adjusted the lighting to the lowest setting. Her lips curled up in a small smile as she saw a text notification from her best friend.

_Kat: 'Привет))))'_

_Avery: 'Привет) Как дела?' _

_Kat: 'Норм. Удача завтра)))'_

Wait. What?

Avery clasped her hand to her mouth to cover up her scream. The audition!

All the excitement of finally getting to go back home made her forget that her audition was rescheduled for the next morning. She was also one of the lucky ones, they accepted her registration and asked her to come to the new appointment. How could she forget something like this?

Paris Opera School of Ballet was the best ballet school in France, maybe even in the whole of Europe. This was her chance to fix everything. She still had a good chance in succeeding. Even if the situation in Bolshoi didn't work out, she was ready to try again. She was going to keep trying until she became a star dancer. Second chances were rare in the world of ballet, but she had been so incredibly lucky that she received this second chance she's been working for.

_Only that this time, she wouldn't let herself get distracted._

_Avery: 'Пасиб )'_

The girl let out a loud groan and rolled off the soft mattress, grabbing her sports bag and pulled out her pointe shoes, quickly putting them on. She took off her jacket and put her hair in a tight ponytail. Moving to the old barre by the window, she did some basic technique exercises to warm up and worked mainly on her technique for quite a long time. If the technique was good, then there’s hardly any doubt that the audition could go wrong. That was what they taught her at Bolshoi anyways. It wasn't long after she’s done 5 sets, that she heard the door open.

Her mother walked in, hugging herself, her steps light and slow. 

”Everything okay? Just wanted to check if you went to sleep.” 

_Lie._

"I’m alright. Thanks."

“What are you doing so late?"

"I'm auditioning for the Paris Opera tomorrow. And I have to be ready," she replied not even sparing the woman a glance and went back to her tendu combination exercise. "Avery, I need to talk to you about something."

"Look, mom. I'm really tired right now and I don't have time to talk. I have an important audition tomorrow and I don't want to mess it up. We can talk after I'm done."

It might have been rude, but her mother needed to understand, that ballet, was her life now. It has always been. But some things just...changed in the past three years. That meant giving up sleep, giving up friends, and giving up family time. Avery needed her to understand how important this was to her. Just because she quit Bolshoi, didn’t mean that she quit ballet. She wanted another shot at this. And she was gonna get it.

"Avery, I-It’s important. And I can’t wait any longer. I need you to know," the woman coughed, wrapping the cloth around herself even tighter.

”Alright, then. What’s so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?” 

"I have cancer." Avery halted, eyes wide in shock. 

"W-What?" she asked, her voice hitching. Her heart dropped at the sound of that. Her body started to shake, so she dropped her leg and gripped the bare tightly, afraid to look her mother in the eyes. She was afraid that if she would, she’d cry again.

"I was diagnosed a few weeks before you left. I might not make it."

Avery didn't say anything. She finally came back to her city, excited to make new memories with people she didn't see for almost three years while she was in Russia. She couldn't wait to see her mother again. Even if it meant abandoning her second home, she loved her dearly. She's been hurt so many times, so when her brother asked her to go back to Paris, Avery didn't hesitate. The girl thought a comforting home was waiting for her in Paris. A realization struck her like a lightning. He asked her to come back, so she could stand by her side, hopelessly while she battled her disease.

She had to watch someone die. Again.

"You kept this from me for three years?"

Avery felt as is she’s been shot by an arrow. Her eyes watered at the thought of her scribbling in her diary about all the things she wanted to do once in Paris again. She couldn’t wait to see her mother again, to spend the rest of her life in Paris. For the past three years, Avery worked herself to the bone to make everyone proud, to show everyone how much she’s improved, to show her how strong she’s become. But at that moment, it felt as if all that strength had flown away again. 

She felt betrayed that the woman who trusted her enough to send her in another country by herself at the age of 13 didn't trust her enough to tell her that she might not be able to make it. If only she had told her, Avery would've _stayed_ behind. She could've helped her!

Things were definitely not the same in Paris.

"Why didn’t you tell me before?" she questioned, this time barely loud enough for the woman to hear. No matter how much she tried, she was still incapable of looking her in the eyes. And that broke both of their hearts.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry...You have no idea how much I wanted to, but I was scared. I was scared that if I called you, I'd end up telling you everything. I didn't want you to lose focus,” the woman was sobbing by this point.

"You didn't want me to lose focus!? You could've died, mom! Do you think I'd keep my focus then?"

"I'm sorry I ruined your arrival."

Avery rushed to her bed, ripping her pointe shoes off her feet and grabbed her Chelsea boots. "Avery. I'm sorry... Please," the girl stayed quiet and rushed out, slamming the door behind her. 

* * *

Pont de Alexandre III.

That's the first place she thought of as the cold night air hit her skin again. This is where she used to dance on top, almost giving her friends a heart attack, when she pretended to lose balance. They'd always yell at her for being irresponsible. It was also the place she'd come to when she had to think. And tonight, she had a lot of things to think over. She took the hairband out of her hair, letting her hair fall down and leaned on the fence, her chin on top of her arms.

Paris was so wonderful. Especially at night, when all the lights lit it up. Even if the sky was dark and cloudy, soft winds blowing from the South, a clear sign of an approaching thunderstorm, one could never get used to the sight. There truly was a reason Paris was called the City of Lights. Avery felt strangely comforted just by standing there and watch, taking her mind off things, ignoring the fact that a storm was approaching. She took notice of the tourist boat below, tears dwelling up at the merry cheers of the happy visitors, making the best out of the last day of summer.

_'Life must really hate me. Taking everyone from me.' _

Burying her head in her arms, one of her boots stomping on the concrete in frustration. The sigh that escaped her dry lips was slow as if her brain needed the time to process what had happened. She was back in Paris. She was safe here, sure, but...Her mother was dying. She had a very important audition in a few hours. She had to start school here and make new friends. 

How did everything become so complicated all of a sudden? She promised herself that she would not get distracted again, but she just realized that her entire life she's been dancing, trying to get to the top, which seemed so impossible to reach. Yet, for all of those years, she kept dancing, kept kicking, eyes burning with that passion, determined to reach it. In fact, she was so determined that she completely forgot about the real world. She forgot to ask the one woman who gave her unconditional love and support about how she felt, and only if she had taken the time, she could've helped.

Avery felt incredibly guilty.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her back pocket of her leggings.

_Mom: 'Avery, I know you're confused right now, but I want you to understand that whatever happens to me, I'll always love you. I want you to be happy, chase your dream, make new friends. Even if I die, I want you to live. You deserve it.'_

Her mother was right. She _did_ deserve to be happy. She wanted to be happy. She wanted this as badly as she wanted to breathe, therefore she wiped her tears away and closed her eyes to calm down. A random melody began to play inside her head and that persuaded the girl to spring on top of the bridge and dance on the railing like it was the simplest thing on Earth. Beginning to advance in movement with purposeful clarity and absolute control, she passed multiple lampposts, swinging around them like a kid having fun on the playground. With each stride she took, it became explicitly obvious that Bolshoi wasn't a waste of time nor money. She couldn't bring herself to regret going no matter how hard this year was. But it was still nice to be back here. Kicking her left leg forward with pointed toes and flexed calf muscles, the strawberry blonde leaped into the air and landed perfectly by the next lamppost. 

"That was beautiful."

Like a clap of thunder, the new presence on the usually empty bridge made her gasp in shock. Alarmed by this presence behind her, she turned around rapidly meeting eyes with a stranger clad in black, only his big emerald eyes visible as the lights from the lampposts blinded her slightly. She stepped back, losing her balance and fell off the bridge.

.

.

.

"Whoah there! Gotcha!"

Avery's eyes were open in shock, staring at her blurred reflection in the river. Her hair almost touched the surface and her arms were lifelessly dangling. She was frozen as her blood went cold. She couldn't move or breathe at that moment. The only feeling of warmth was the one of a strong arm wrapped around her waist and how it pulled her up; the water surface slowly distancing itself from her. She whimpered, finally feeling her blood pumping through her veins when her feet reached the hard ground.

She never would have imagined that she'd be so close to death again. After such a short time. 

Maybe she wasn't so lucky like everyone thought she was after all.

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?!" He asked, setting her down on the ground. Her knees weakened and she was about to collapse, a strong wave of fatigue shot through her head, but she shook it off; realizing what just happened. She fell off the goddamn bridge. "Yeah," she whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks. Was she really?

"I'm fine."

"Hey, hey don't cry. It's okay, _Angel_. You're safe," the teen male clad in black leather pulled her in for a tight hug. "Yeah... I know. I'm okay," she sobbed, hugging him back. Her voice cracked, a lump forming in her throat. After a few minutes of rocking her in her arms, he pulled her away and stood up. She looked up at the male with wide eyes. He had a black leather mask over his eyes and his emerald irises shone in the dark, staring softly back at her. His hair was messy but the bright yellow lights illuminated his golden-like strands...And on top of his head were two black cat ears.

He was beautiful.

Avery tilted her head in confusion.

"W-Who are you?" The blonde teen offered her his hand to pull her up and just as she was back on her feet, he kissed it gently. 

_He kissed her god-damned hand._

"Chat Noir, m'lady. The new superhero of Paris. I'm sure you'll hear a lot about me in the future." He stated confidently, pulling away and bowed like a gentleman, the serene smile still on his face. 

Was she dead and met an angel?

"Hero?"

"Exactly. I was just given the task to protect Paris, so I understand if you're afraid. But as the future hero, can you allow me to escort you home?"

"I-I'll go by myself, thanks though,” stuttering, she turned on her heels and took a step forward. Even if he wasn’t a bad guy; which she was sure of, considering the guy just saved her from falling into her death (not exactly sure how though), Avery couldn’t help but keep her distance. She felt grateful for the help, but like anyone would be; she was quite startled by his peculiar attire that strongly resembled a cat.

Just the fact that he was walking in some sort of..._cosplay _at night sent shivers up her spine.

"Okay, okay. I understand. I'm a stranger and it is nighttime. And I'm dressed like...this. But can I at least get your name?" the strange asked, making her feet stop against her will. A sigh escaped her lips as she finally gave in to take one last look at the stranger with a polite smile, blood rushing to her cheeks when the stranger sent her an innocent smile.

He did save her from drowning just a few minutes ago after all...

"Avery."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovelies.
> 
> This is a new story I've been working on and I am currently editing the whole thing. As most of you guys, I've come across the show Miraculous Ladybug a few years ago, and have absolutely fallen in love. This year (2019/2020), I decided to go on an exchange year in France, so I've experienced a little bit of this French life and let me tell you... It was a dream. So, I decided to write a story. 
> 
> I hope you will enjoy and if you do, add this book to your library or write a comment. Your support means a lot to me.
> 
> Now for those of you who were confused during the short text convo, here's the translation:
> 
> 'Привет))))'-'Heeyy :) :) :) :)'
> 
> 'Привет) Как дела?' - 'Hey, how are you?'
> 
> 'Норм. Удача завтра)))'- 'Okay. Good luck tomorrow :) :) :)'
> 
> 'Пасиб )'- 'Thanks.'


	2. Back to School pt.1

"So... Are you gonna make me breakfast or what?" The annoying black floating creature or so-called kwami named Plagg asked his new partner in crime with a cranky voice, eyes still half shut. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, yeah. Just wait a second. I need to get dressed."

It's been about a day since Adrien, the teen supermodel, received his miraculous. It happened when he escaped his house, for well, reasons. The kid wanted to turn in his school application on August 31st and start going to school, but his bodyguard and his father's secretary caught him before he could succeed. For his entire life, Adrien has been homeschooled, locked in his house and hadn't actually had a chance to make any friends. As much as he didn't want to defy his strict father, he was incredibly lonely. As bizarre as it sounded, going to school was his dream. He dreamed of making friends and maybe even falling in love. At 16 years, he had never been outside on his own. He had never hung out with anyone except that spoiled major's daughter and his cousin. And after yesterday's events, the boy was sure it will also stay nothing more than a dream.

Sighing in frustration, he took out a simple black shirt and pulled it over his head.

His father, Gabriel Agreste was a famous fashion designer, earning millions with his designs every year. The man had this crazy idea planted in his head, teaching his son about how dangerous the outside world was. The boy had a lot of opportunities in life, he was obliged to learn Chinese, play piano, and practice his fencing ever since he was a kid. He even got to model for his father's fashion lines. He knew it was for his own good, but this kind of life was so...lonely. And when his mom mysteriously disappeared, he felt even more alone.

So, once his bodyguard brought him back to his room, there was a black box on his coffee table. It was small and made of wood, red design on top, a circle with patterns in the middle surrounded by wavy lined as the edge. The blonde assumed it was some kind of gift from his father, jewelry of some sort. But when he opened it, a bright green flash, blinded his eyes.

Then he appeared.

Plagg.

_"Look, I'm a kwami. I grant powers of destruction. Got it?"_

_._

_._

_._

It was a...strong first impression.

The point is, this tiny rat was his ticket to freedom. With the help of the silver ring; called miraculous, he got to transform into a superhero anytime he wanted! It was like the gods have spoken to him and gave him a blessing. He was in love with the whole thing. When he tried it, leaping on top of Paris roofs, seeing the whole city with his own eyes, Adrien knew this was meant to be. He felt free for the first time in his life. As Plagg stated, his job was to protect Paris from now on, which meant being ready to transform anytime, a list of excuses ready at hand and keeping a schedule of regular daily patrols. The only thing left now, was to meet his superhero partner.

"I still can't believe you only eat Cammerbert. I'll have to smell like rotten old cheese 24/7, seriously?"

"If you wanna be able to transform into a superhero, then stinky cheese is the deal, my friend," the blondie gave him a glare, but then sighed as the creature didn't flinch at all. "Seems legit."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. The small kwami quickly stuffed the huge piece of Cammerbert in his tiny mouth and hid inside the pocket of Adrien's blazer. "Adrien? Are you ready?" Natalie, the secretary asked from outside.

"Yes! I'll be right there!"

He burst out of the room, meeting eyes with the strict-looking woman in her late-thirties, who escorted him to the dining room. "Today, you'll accompany your father to the Paris Opera Ballet School and watch the auditions. He's thinking of scouting a new teen female model for his new fashion line," Natalie explained briefly, her stoic expression on her face as always. The boy nodded in understanding and started eating his breakfast. "After lunch, we're scheduled to have an hour of French History, an hour of Physics followed by twenty minutes of break and then another hour for Maths and English. You're expected to review afterward."

Another sigh escaped his lips. He had a hard time accepting that his attempt at escaping this house of horrors failed.

As Adrien finished his breakfast, he joined his father, who was already in the car, reviewing his designs on the tablet. When Natalie sat in front, Adrien's bodyguard started the car and drove off. "Good morning," he greeted with a smile, not receiving even a glance from his father. "Adrien," the man started.

"Yes?"

"I decided to allow you to go to school. But you will not go or leave without your bodyguard. Do you understand?" The boys' eyes lit up with happiness. It was a rare sight, that touched even his cold-blooded father. After Adrien had been diagnosed with depression, the boy never bothered to smile. Except during his photoshoots. Even a fool could see those were fake. He wanted a real smile to find his way up to his lips. Seeing his son smile like that made the man realize his son's happiness was also one of the reasons he was working so hard. He wanted to see him smile more often. And to avoid any more potentially dangerous escape routes, the only rational thing was to let the boy go to school and give him some more freedom. He was almost 17 after all.

"Yes, father! Thank you! This really means a lot."

"Natalie has offered to organize your new schedule. But, you'll be continuing your music, Chinese and fencing classes as well as your photoshoots. You'll start tomorrow."

"Thank you, Natalie! Thank you, father!" 

"Natalie. I trust you sent the designs to Mr. Merante?" the strict looking man asked. His platinum blond hair was combed back like always and his piercing grey eyes focused on the screen in front of him. "Yes, sir."

"Has he replied yet?"

"Not yet. He was presumably very busy with the application videos. Apparently, they've gotten a lot of them this year," his assistant explained. 

"Good. That means that only the best will be left today. How many of them are left for the 3rd year exactly?"

"Twenty-five. Seventeen girls, Eight boys."

"And have you taken a look through them? Any suitable candidates?" the man questioned again, eyes kept on one of his emails.

"Yes, I'll send a few of them to you right away."

"Excellent work." the man nodded in approval and checked a few applications. The assistant sent personal files of 5 girls, with their hair neatly combed and light make-up to cover up any blemishes. They all had the typical dancer's body, slim, but toned muscles. All of them very beautiful, there was no doubt, but he wasn't looking for beautiful.

Gabriel Agreste was looking for _perfection_.

_Cheryl Le Haut._

_Sydney Nixon._

_Marie Palange._

_Abigail Leroux._

His eyes stopped on the last one.

_Avery Chastain._

"We're here, sir."

"Wonderful. Let's get this over with."

* * *

The girls fled onto the stage, each one of them wearing a black leotard and white tights. They were followed by a group of boys, all dressed in black tights and black shirts. The way they ran was charming, one could barely see how much thought was actually put in every step from far away. They knew the rules: One wrong move and you're out. So even the entrance had to be exactly perfect.

"To the barre! Start warming up!" A strong voice ordered.

As commanded, they formed a line by the barres, everyone trying to stay as far back as possible. Avery sighed when a girl with a number 5 behind her asked the strawberry blonde to go up to the front but did so anyway. She was trying to get in, so she had to get noticed. The only logical thing was to go in front of everyone. 

She took a deep breath, making sure her number 13 stuck to her leotard correctly and closed her eyes. Straightening her posture, she relaxed her muscles as much as she could at the same time as staying tall and upright. Her right hand gripped the bar loosely while her other arm was curved out in front of her, fingers perfectly placed and barely curved inwards. Long lean legs were pressed together, her feet pointed out horizontally. A flawless first position.

Just a moment later, the soft sound of a piano filled the room. Without any words, the dancers started moving in synch. Everyone on stage was strangers to each other, but after seeing how they could synch with the music, one would think that they've been doing this together for ages. 

An older woman stepped from backstage, holding a checklist board. She wore a black, long-sleeved dress, reaching to her ankles and a pair of heels that clopping loudly with every step she took. Her dark hair was twisted into a low bun, every hair in place. She looked strict with her small rectangular glasses, eyeing the dancers in front of her. Her whole posture screamed about the years of experience she's had.

"Welcome to the Paris Opera Ballet School, one of the most elite institutions in the world. You have all been chosen from amongst thousands of dancers. However, this year, we only have room for just three girls and three boys in the third year. It'll be your job to make sure you're among them."

Walking past the dancers in the first line, she started taking roll. "Batton Hannah!"

"Present!" the girl behind her shouted. A little too loudly by the way. The woman scanned her up and down, and marked her on her list. _Newbie._

"Beaumont Sean!"

"Present,"

"Chastain Avery!"

"Present," like the girl and the boy before, she received a judgy glare, followed by a satisfied hum. 

"Every year, young girls and boys often come here, thinking only wanting to dance is enough to make them dancers. It isn't. You better get your head out of the clouds and start thinking critically. Not everyone is born a dancer. You should prepare yourselves for a lifetime of hard work, sacrifice, and of course disappointment." Avery flexed her core muscles and went down into a plié, focusing on the woman's instructions. "And relevé," Everyone immediately rose to their pointes.

"Good work. Some of you weren't completely...terrible. Now let's see the solos you've prepared. Miss Batton up to the front! Others watch from the sidelines." As demanded, Hannah Batton strode to the front, her muscles flexed, arms in the first position, ready to start. The music started shortly and she danced her solo. 

"She's good," a boy whispered into Avery's ear. She nodded, not even taking the time to look at the stranger. She was focused on the girl's technique and took mental notes. Extend leg, head up, breathe. "Of course. Everyone's good here."

"Next, Mr. Beaumont!"

"That's my cue. See ya," the boy ran in front of her, tapped her shoulder, and gave her a two-finger salute. Avery flashed him a small smile in return.

"Break a leg."

"You've never seen a ballet audition, haven't you?" Gabriel asked his son, checking the name list. "No, this is the first time."

A peal of quiet laughter escaped his father's lips, not tearing his eyes away from the application list as he scanned through the other applicants. It was his job to go through all the applications, making sure that his secretary didn't leave anyone that might catch his attention out. He was very sure she didn't though. His choice was already decided. Now he just needed to see her dance.

"Don't get your hopes up then. It's usually very boring."

"Oh, okay."

"I see it's going well, Madame Milliner," a man strode over to the front row, greeted by the staff. He turned around, acknowledging Gabriel and his son in the audience beside the faculty. "Ah, Mr. Agreste, I'm glad you made it. I just read your email and I must say your designs definitely fit my vision. They seem very promising."

"Oh my god! That's Gabriel Agreste! The fashion designer, who's looking for a new female model. And he's talking to Mr. Merante, the principal. Whoever goes next is screwed. I hear he's really strict. Impossible to please. The same goes for Agreste. They look for only the best." Sean exclaimed.

"Thanks! You sure know how to calm someone down," A random girl barked at him. 

"Miss Chastain!"

"Great. Guess I'm screwed." The strawberry blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before walking up to the stage with a smile and greeted the professors in the jury.

"The Lilac fairy, huh?" Principal Merante looked at the girl, not impressed by her choice. He actually seemed like he was mocking her. She was sure he didn't think she could do it. Avery took a deep breath and smiled. The nerves were really starting to get to her. "Yeah. I thought it would be a challenge."

"Interesting. Then you better set the bar high. You can start."

Avery nodded and waited for the music to start. This was it now. Her second chance. Her eyes closed and her body started to move synched with music. All the nervousness she felt before, slowly melted away. She felt weightless, like a fairy. 

"Who is that?" Adrien asked the young professor who sat on his left. She seemed familiar. Was that really her? _Avery?_

"Avery Chastain. She studied in Bolshoi for the past three years. I went to watch one of the competitions for 13-15 years olds last year and the girl is phenomenal. A natural dancer. With a few years here, she can become a great ballerina. I'm certain she'll get in." 

"Bolshoi?"

"Yes, I hear she was one of their best students of her year."

* * *

"Marinette! Your alarm has been going off for 15 minutes! You're going to be late for your first day back at school!" A motherly voice called out from the kitchen. Marinette tried to grab her phone from under the blanket and was about to snooze in again when she realized what day it actually was. September the 1st. Which meant going back to school.

_Yay._

The girl groaned and pushed the covers off her body. "Got it, mom." She left her room and walked down the stairs right into the kitchen when a loud rumble was heard from her stomach. "Coming!"

"I bet you anything Chloé will be in my class again," she told her mother, sighing in desperation. She spent a whole hour praying she wouldn't be with the blonde again last night, but she was sure it didn't work. She was just...lucky. Lucky enough to attract annoying humans like Chloé.

_'Please don't let_ _Chloé be in my class this year.'_ She thought to herself again, pouring herself a bowl of milk. "Four years in a row? Is that possible?"

"Definitely. Lucky me!" 

"Don't say that! It's the start of a new year! I'm sure everything will be just fine." the girl smiled and set the box of cocoa back on the table, which shook under the pressure. That caused a tangerine to roll out of the fruit basket, over the piece of butter, hitting the cartoon of milk that spilled all over the floor as well as the cocoa and then lastly, tipped the small yogurt over.

Fine.

That must've been a joke of the century.

As she finished getting ready, she descended down the stairs, to her parents' bakery. Greeting her father with a smile and a kiss on the cheek, she zipped up her bag. Then, her father surprised her with a box of macarons, made especially for her new classmates. "Dad! These are so awesome!"  
"Glad you like 'em." The huge man laughed, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Thank you, dad! My class will love them! You're the best!"

"We're the best. Thanks to your amazing designs!" Marinette jumped in his arms, losing the box of macarons in the process. But since her father was very careful with her daughter around, he caught the box with his foot, showing off his good reflexes.

"Thanks." the girl giggled and kissed her parents goodbye. "Okay, see ya tonight!"

With a smile on her face, she ran out of the bakery. On her way to school, she helped an older man cross the street, ruining half of her macarons while at it. But since everyone near was on their phones, she had no choice but to save the man from an oncoming car. And she didn't regret it at least. That was one of the things she loved about herself. She was selfless and always ready to help, no matter who it was. "Thank you, Miss. Oh, what a disaster."

"Don't worry, I'm no stranger to disasters. Besides, there's still a few left. You can try them if you'd like." the man took one of them and took a bite. "Mhmm! Delicious!"

Marinette was suddenly brought back to reality as she heard the school bell ring. "Oh no! I'm gonna be late! Have a nice day sir!"

Arriving into the classroom at the last minute, Marinette took her usual seat in the second row. She sighed in relief as she saw Miss Bustier in front of the class. At least something went right this day. She didn't get Mrs. Mendeliev as her homeroom teacher. That would've been really awful. Miss Bustier was the nicest option this school offered and she thanked the heavens for granting her at least one wish.

"Nino, why don't you have a seat in the front row this year?" the dark-skinned boy sulked as he grabbed his bag and moved from his seat in the back to the front. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" A hand slammed on her table. Marinette didn't have to look up to know who was it. Chloé Burgeois. "Ugh. Here we go again."

"That's my seat." The blonde barked. "But Chloé, this has always been my seat." Her sidekick, Sabrina stuck up for the blonde. Great. She was here too? "Not anymore. New school year, new seats."

"So why don't you just go and sit beside that new girl over there?" the tanned brunette in the front row glared at the blonde, who responded with a smirk. "But..."

"Listen, Adrien is arriving today. And since that's going to be his seat," she pointed at the seat beside Nino in the front row, "_this_ is going to be my seat! Get it?!"

"Uh...Who's Adrien?" The blonde and her friend burst into loud laughter. "Can you believe she doesn't know who Adrien is? What rock have you been living under?"

"He's only a famous model." Sabrina scoffed. "And_ I_ am his best friend. He _adores _me. Now go on, move!" she waved her hand to dismiss her. "Hey! Who elected you the queen of seats?" the new girl stood up and walked to the trio. "Uhh! Look, Sabrina! We've got a little do-gooder in our class this year! What are you gonna go, super newbie? Shoot beans at me with your glasses?" Chloé asked, making the girl groan in anger. "Wouldn't you like to know." She grabbed Marinette's arm and pulled her to the front row. She tripped on the stairs and saw how the rest of her macarons crumbled under her weight. There was only one left now. "Uh, sorry, sorry, sorry," she kept apologizing as she stood up, dusting off the crumbs. "Chillax, girl. No biggie," the brunette assured her. "I so wish I could handle Chloé the way you do."

"You mean the way Majestija does," she pointed at her phone with a picture of a famous comic superhero. "She says; All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. While that girl over there is evil, and we are the good people! We can't let her get away with it!"

"Well, that's easier said than done. She likes to make my life miserable!" The girl swung an arm around her shoulder. "That's cause you let her, girl! You just need more confidence, uhh..." Marinette smiled and split the last macaron in half. "Marinette!"

"Alya."

"Alright! Has everyone found their seats? For those of you who don't know me, I'm Miss Bustier and I'll be your teacher this year."

* * *

"If your name isn't Sean Beaumont, Cheryl Le Haut, Sydney Nixon, Jack Matthews, Avery Chastain, or Tom Beaureal, I expect you to pack your things and leave. Now." Her terrifying gaze scared the dancers, who hurriedly left for the changing rooms, holding in their tears and sobs. Avery looked behind her shoulder, feeling bad for them. But there were still a lot of other opportunities to get in. One fail didn't mean the end of the world. 

Madame Milliner cleared her throat to get Avery's attention. "You were picked out of nearly 500 applicants, meaning simply that we think you're the best." Avery and five other dancers were called out to step forward in a straight line, while others were left the stage. She was in. A smile crept up her face as she looked at her fellow dancers and collided her fist with the boy who talked to her earlier. "I'm Sean by the way," he said, smiling at her. "Avery."

"I expect you to work very hard." Mrs. Milliner told the dancers, her eyebrows raised and an intimidating look on her face. "You have a lot of potential. Don't waste it. Your schedules will be emailed to you this evening. You're free to look around."

Just as she turned around, the six dancers erupted in cheers, high-fiving each other. "Great job, guys!"

"Avery Chastain? Come with me,"

Sean gave her a confused look, which she returned with a light shrug before turning around. She locked her gaze with the principal, who gave her a nod of approval and walked past her without a word. Did he like her solo? She screamed internally. Then Mrs. Milliner approached her with a man and a blonde boy by his side. She recalled Sean talking about him. Was he that fashion designer? What was his name again?

"Miss Chastain, I'm Mr. Gabriel Agreste, the owner of the brand Gabriel. This is my son, Adrien. I believe you probably already heard from your fellow dancers that I'm looking for a new female model for my company and I think you match my vision perfectly. I'm offering you a very special opportunity to get noticed by ballet companies in the future. Are you interested?"

Avery took a good look at the man. He seemed very strict, demanding perfection. She was honored, sure, but after what happened yesterday, she couldn't bring herself to accept. Her mother was dying. She couldn't accept that. "Um, I actually-" she stuttered. Why exactly did he remind her of her father? Taking a deep breath, she answered calmly. "I really appreciate the offer, Mr. Agreste, and I'm flattered, but...I have a lot on my plate right now. Dance is my priority. I don't think a distraction like modeling would help me improve." Her mother was sick. She wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Becoming a model right now, wouldn't help her at all.

"I see. I believe you should think this over since you're clearly tired at the moment," Avery forced out a small laugh even though she was pissed. The nerve this man had- "I'll give you my business card in case you change your mind. It was a pleasure, Miss Chastain. I'll wait for your call." As soon as he pushed a card in her hands, he left. Avery glared at the back of his head. What kind of attitude was that? He wouldn't even let her talk. His son gave her an apologetic smile and waved her goodbye.

"Miss Chastain." The strawberry blonde turned around to face her instructor, now her teacher and smiled. "Yes?" The woman tore her gaze from her paperwork and looked at the girl. "I admire your passion for ballet, but I think you should accept the offer."

"Mam, you don't understand-"

"I'm not finished," she cut in. "You live in a world of dreams, Miss Chastain. You're not special just because you went to Bolshoi. Like I said before, you have a lot of potential. But so do a lot of other girls. You can be replaced in an instant. Don't think that passion and hard work will get you a job. This is Paris. The real world. You might know pain and struggle, but you're getting older. If you want to succeed in this line of work and create a good career, I suggest you accept his offer. You need as much help as you can get. I know a lot of other dancers that would kill for this kind of offer. So get your head out of the clouds and start thinking rationally."

* * *

"Paris is under attack!"

"What!?"

"There's some kind of a supervillain terrorizing the city. Look at the news!" Marinette yelled in fear, scaring her parents, who did just as she asked. "I'm asking all Parisians to stay home until the situation is under control!" the mayor, Mr. Bourgeois announced before being bombarded with a million questions.

"Marinette, go to your room. We're closing the bakery!" her mom yelled, locking the front door. Marinette obeyed and ran up to her room, opening the news app on her computer.

"As incredible as it seems, it's been confirmed that Paris is indeed being attacked by a supervillain. The police have been struggling to keep the situation under control." The reporter, Nadja Chamack explained.

"I hate first days back at school," she said, hiding her head behind her chair. Then she noticed a small black box on her table. It was small and made of wood, red design on top, a circle with patterns in the middle surrounded by wavy lined as the edge. "What's this doing here?" She reached for it, expecting some sort of jewelry inside, but instead, a bright red light almost blinded her. When she opened her eyes, she saw a red creature floating in front of her.

"AHH HELP! IT'S A GIANT BUG! A MOUSE! A-A BUG-MOUSE!"

"Hi,"

"AHH! BUG-MOUSE TALKS!" Marinette yelled and started to throw random objects at the floating creature. "Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. Listen, Marinette. I know everything seems a little bit strange-" the girl trapped it inside the glass. "Okay, if that makes you feel better."

"What are you... And how do you know my name?"

"I'm a kwami and my name is Tikki. Now, just let me explain." The creature told her about the magic earrings could make her transform into a superhero. Marinette didn't buy it. "Mom! Dad!"

"Nonono! I'm your friend. You must trust me. You're the only one who can stop the StoneHeart."

Marinette started hyperventilating. Was she hallucinating? Surely just being around Chloé for too long fried her brain, she was becoming crazy. "This must have been some sort of mistake! The only superpower I have is super-awkwardness! I know! Alya would be up for this! That's my friend. Well, at least I think she would. She loves superheroes, she'd totally be up for the job. You should go see her."

"Marinette! You're the chosen one!"

The girl then halted, suddenly feeling a bit more assured. Maybe she was at least good for something? So, she decided to calm down and listen to the flying-talking bug. "Okay...so all I have to do is break the object where what is hiding?" she asked, putting the earrings on.

"It's called an Akuma! It must be captured!"  
"Got it. Capture the Akuma., And what's that charm-thing again?"

"The Lucky Charm. It's your secret superpower! Now all you have to do is say spots on!"

"Spots on?"

A moment later, Marinette was dressed in a red spandex suit covered in black spots, representing a ladybug. There was the same mask on her face. "Ugh... How does this thing come off? Tikki?" She turned back to the news on her computer.

_"The monster seems to be unstoppable. It seems to be headed to the Eiffel Tower." _

The girl clasped her hand on her mouth as she saw her friend cycling after the monster. "Alya?"

"Marinette? Is everything okay?" her mother's voice called from below the trapdoor. Marinette panicked. "Umm yeah! Don't come up! Everything's fine!"

"Okay! Just stay up there! Your dad and I are going to Mrs. Chastain's to drop off something!" she locked the door. "Okay! Say hi for me! And be careful!" after that, she ran up to the roof to her garden.

"Okay, I have special powers...And this yoyo-thingy." she threw the yoyo so hard, it wrapped around a gargoyle on the Notre Dame and pulled her along. She screamed in fear. Hard.

Next thing she knew, she was tangled between the strings with a boy in a cat outfit, hanging from the metal staff. It was probably her partner. "Oh hey there. nice of you to drop in."

"Ugh, sorry. I didn't do it on purpose," she apologized, desperately pulling on the yoyo string, trying to untangle the stupid toy.

"I bet you're the partner my kwami told me about. I'm Chat Noir. And you?"

"I-ugh...I'm Ma-umm, ma-" Marinette struggled with getting her yoyo untangled, but as soon as she did, it fell on her partner's head. "Madly clumsy."

"No sweat clumsy girl. I'm learning the ropes too." 

A building suddenly fell down very close and her partner used his staff to jump on the roof to get a better view. "Hey wait, where are you going?!"

"To save Paris, _right!?_"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves!  
I just want to say that I'm don't really know anything about ballet, I just made a lot of research. So if any information is incorrect, please don't hesitate to correct me! Hope you enjoy! <3


	3. Back to School pt.2

"Miss Le Haut, Nixon and Chastain! Redo the last part!" Madame Milliner cut off the three dancers, who immediately got in their positions once again, sweat forming on their foreheads. She replayed the music and the girls waited for their cues and began again. "Sydney Nixon! Turnout, keep your knee still!"

"Again!"

Avery exhaled as she felt her arms shake, sweat covering almost every inch of her aching body, indicating how tired she was from the practice. She was still a little out of it. So much has happened over the past two days that she was still a little shaken. A stone monster, almost killing her. When she recalled falling from the Eiffel Tower, her muscles tensed. It wasn't nice. "Miss Chastain! Relax. You're ruining your lines!"

Right.

"Again!"

_'Focus.'_

"Better. Now, let's do it again from the top. What are you waiting for?" she glared at the students on the sidelines. "Get to your positions!"

With barely any time to breathe, the music started again. This time from the top. Everyone was exhausted. It was a bad day, getting Mrs. Milliner so soon. Their actual professor was Mr.LeClair, but he had to leave for a few days due to personal reasons. So the third years got stuck with the strictest instructor in the school besides the principal, Mrs. Milliner. They were only an hour into the practice and most of them were already covered in sweat, blisters forming under the worn-out pointe shoes.

"Ballet is about two things. Technique and expression. Expressions are easy to master, yet most of you don't even make an effort."

Typical strict ballet professor. Avery knew how they taught. They gave you critical comments about something that was solid, or even good and concealed their satisfaction, pushing you to your limit. And honestly, she liked it this way.

There was always something to improve, always something to work on. Be it extensions, turns, jumps, turnouts, or expressions in this case. If she'd say how good her technique was, there'd be nothing to fix. Avery, just like almost any ballet dancer, was a type of person, who needed to be criticized to push herself. And that's why she liked the black-haired Madame. She was a pro at criticizing and at pushing her students to their limits. Chloé probably couldn't even reach her knees. That's why after three years in Bolshoi, Chloé's comments didn't bother her at all.

"A professional always knows how to keep on a good expression. Just because you're tired, doesn't mean you're allowed to show that to your audience. Ballet, to outsiders, is flawless. You have to make it look easy. That is your first priority."

_'Easy?'_ Sean wondered, wiping the sweat off his forehead. _'Yeah, I don't think so.'_

The class ended after an hour or so and before she dismissed her students, Mrs. Milliner took a look at her phone. "As of tomorrow, I'll be your official teacher. Mr. LeClair was transferred to work with the first years. I expect you to be prepared to work harder than ever you have before. I will also be checking your notes of today's class tomorrow. I hope you were paying attention. Have a nice afternoon. And don't forget to stretch before you leave."

The woman then took her clipboard and left. 

"That was tough, wasn't it? I feel like I'm going to die." Sean told the strawberry blonde who wiped the sweat with her towel and drank some water. "Yea, how do you feel about her being our new teacher?" She asked, following Sean to the barre to stretch. "Honestly, not too excited. I know she's the best, but I'm getting those crazy Lady Tremaine vibe."

"Trust me, it's for the best. With her, we'll improve a lot. Way more than Mr. LeClair. She's scary, I know, but for a good reason," Avery explained while taking her pointe shoes off, sighing at the view of more blisters.

"Wow, that one is nasty," Cheryl laughed.

"Disgusting...I love it. Look at mine, it's even worse! Super painful too!" Avery shook her head as quiet laughter erupted from her lips. "Isn't it weird how we dancers talk about stuff like this? Normal people would think we're completely insane."

"What can you do? What we talk about is real. Half of the folk out there don't know what hard work is. This is what a normal dancer's foot should look like. No sugar coating things. If they think we're weird then that's their problem."

"True."

"Hey, by the way. Do you guys wanna come to my place so we can do our homework? I already asked Tom and Julie," Sydney asked, letting her black hair down and brushed it through with her fingers. "Sure, no problem," Sean responded happily. Avery shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, I already have plans with one of my old friends. Then I need to help out with groceries."

"Things have been pretty crazy for you, huh? You got kidnapped by that monster?" Sydney asked, interested in hearing her part of the story. What happened yesterday afternoon was a huge deal in Paris and naturally, she'd want to know more. It's not every day you see monsters attacking Paris while having a hostage. Avery scratched the back of her head, thinking back at the rather peculiar event that took place just a day ago. There was a stone giant who kidnapped her, then this cat hero who saved her... it was a very confusing day. She was still a bit shaken, not quite understanding the whole situation. How her classmate managed to turn into a stone being she ended up in arms of a superhero was beyond her. "Yeah, I was. I don't really know what was going on though. It all happened so fast."

"I saw you on the news! You got scooped up by that hot cat-man hero! Lucky!" Avery felt her cheeks heat up at the thought of the hero that had saved her life once - twice already. Sean, who had noticed that gave a small nudge to the girl's ribs. She only shot him a look when he wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh, I see how it is! You're crushing on the guy! What happened after he saved you? Did he flirt? Don't tell me he kissed you! Was it like in spiderman?! Did you see his face?"

"Don't overdo it, Sean! Nothing happened! And I don't have a crush on him! Besides, I don't have time to think about boys."

"Hey, even dancers fall in love. I mean have you seen Ilya Kuznetsov and Sol Kim? The YouTubers in Moscow? They've been married for what...30 years and are still so passionate!? If that's not true love then I don't know what is." Sydney commented, opening up her Instagram to like their newest post as she stretched. She showed the picture to the group.

"Okay, they are cute, but back to my point. I'm not in love. I can't be in love with someone I just met," Avery still held her ground. As much as she thought the guy was handsome, she just wasn't in love. She couldn't love someone she just met. Besides, people are not always what they appear to be. Love was just a waste of time.

"Sure you're not. It's like Cheryl saying Tom's not her boyfriend."

"Hey, that's different. We're friends with benefits. It's not like we're in love."

Tom, Cheryl, Sydney, and Sean were all attending regular classes at another high school; Lycée de Victor-Duruy, and had known each other since middle school. That's why everyone was so comfortable with each other. While none of them knew Avery before and were usually shy about making new friends, it was Sean who approached the girl. Being the loudest and the most extroverted in the group, he didn't have any problems socializing. Avery was very grateful for that. While she wasn't shy, she wasn't the same extroverted kid who just made friends with strangers anymore. It was easier when others made the first move.

"I'll give them a month before they make it official," Sydney teased. "Besides, Ilya and Sol met in Paris as tourists! They said it was love at first sight! Can you believe that? It's like you and that cat-daddy!"

"Cat-daddy?! What the hell? Get your fantasies out of here," Sydney only laughed at Avery's reaction, cheeks still slightly red and then turned her attention to Cheryl who suddenly showed interest in the conversation. She was looking for any articles about the two superheroes that appeared to the public eye twice by now. She stopped scrolling when a picture of the masked hero with cat ears came to her feed. She grinned, showing the picture to the others. The 

"Oh, you're right Sydney. He is a daddy...What's his name again?"

"Apparently his name is Chat Noir and he was given special powers to protect Paris from evil or something. That's all I remember. So much has happened in these two days I've been in Paris that I haven't had time to breathe. I still have to unpack a few things."

"We can offer you a hand with the unpacking if you want," Sydney offered, telling Tom to wait in the lobby after he took a shower.

"I mean if that's your definition of hanging out, I won't say no. Is tomorrow after practice okay?" She asked, still a bit insecure. She was the only new kid in the group. Being scared of being new was just a little fear of hers.

"I'm fine with it. As long as there won't be any more monsters coming for you."

"Okay, then. Let's take a shower and leave. I hope you all have umbrellas because it's pouring buckets outside. "

* * *

"Avery! You came!" Mrs. Cheng welcomed the strawberry blonde in the bakery, wrapping her in a small embrace, giving her kisses on both of her cheeks. "Tom! Tell Marinette to come down!" the woman ordered her husband who rushed up to their apartment immediately. "Marinette! Avery's here!"

"How was practice, dear? You must be tired. Do you want something to eat?" Sabine offered, moving back to clean the counter.

"I'm good, thanks."

Marinette then burst in the bakery, a huge smile on her face as she saw her friend. She motioned the girl to follow her and led her to her room. "Avery! Come up!" 

"Okay, time to tell me everything! I wanna know every single detail!" Marinette sat her friend down on the lounge chair and plopped herself beside her, a wide grin on her face. She couldn't wait to catch up on everything! She got her friend back!

Avery, who knew Marinette like the back of her hand, laughed. "Okay, just one question, before we start. Did you do your homework already?" she asked, even though the answer was already obvious as Marinette gasped, her eyes widened and mouth agape. After that, she faceplanted the floor. "OH NO!!"

"You're still overreacting as always, hah?" her friend gave her a blank stare and plopped herself on the chair, pulling out her books. Avery followed her. "You had 2 hours since school ended. What were you doing?"

"I was...drawing?"

"You still wanna become a fashion designer, right?" Avery asked her, looking around her room. The last time she had seen her lab of creativity was just before she left for Moscow. And even then, the girl's room was filled with numerous sketches, unfinished designs on the mannequins, and her art supplies lying everywhere on the floor. That hasn't changed. There was just more of everything. Avery noted how her drawing skills had gotten better over the years. "Yep! Oh my god, I need to show you my idol's designs! They're so amazing!"

"Homework first!"

"Oh, come on! I'll do it later. I can't wait to see his new line of leotards! I'm sure you'd look so good in them!" 

Leotards? 

Avery leaned back on the chair, sighing, muscles sore from practice.

"Let me guess, Gabriel Agreste?"

"YES! How did you know? Are you his fan too? I mean I wouldn't even be surprised- he's one of a kind!" the girl rambled, flipping through one of his magazines. "I mean, I haven't heard of him until yesterday, but you know how I am; not very into fashion. But he came to watch the auditions and then he scouted me to model for this _'new line of leotards'_." Marinette froze, her mouth agape. Then she jumped in the air. "THAT IS SO AWESOME! Omg! You'll be famous! When do you start?!"

Avery chuckled at her behavior. She was so extra. "I'm still waiting for Agreste junior to reply. He said he'll tell me when his father organizes a shoot. Talking about him, how did it go with Adrien? Did he apologize?" A blush appeared on Marinette's cheeks"Yeah. He didn't put the gum on my seat. He was trying to take it off."

"You're blushing...Do you have a crush on him?" Avery teased, making her panic. "Uh-NO! Um I mean- he's not what I thought he was-Ugh! YES! I think I do! But I'm hopeless. What do you think?"

"Well, it might even work out. I mean his personality is okay from what I've noticed. Though he might be a little shy. But...you might be a little too crazy for him. So try to keep your volume levels below 80%" The artist giggled, the red coating her cheeks getting even darker as she thought about those emerald eyes of his. 

"Avery what do I do!? I can't stop thinking about him! He even gave me his umbrella!"

"Well good for you. I think you should just act normal. Acting all weird around him would kinda freak him out. Remember Gaspard from grade 5? You totally freaked him out with your stuttering."

"That was supposed to be forgotten! But, yeah. I'm way more mature now. I can act normal. Easy peasy."

"We'll figure_ that_ out later. Homework."

About five minutes later, Marinette groaned, throwing her face in her hands."I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO SOLVE THIS! IT'S ONLY BEEN THREE DAYS OF SCHOOL AND I'M ALREADY FAILING!"

"I'm surprised you lasted..." she took a glance at her phone, "...5 minutes. Come on. Let's get to work."

"But it's our catch-up afternoon!"

"Homework first," Avery teased. "Ugh, fine."

By the time they finished, Marinette couldn't think anymore. Avery punched her arm. "We're done, weirdo. I'm craving something from the bakery. Any recommendations?" She asked, putting her notebook in her bag. "My dad was working on a few raspberry shortcakes. You used to love those." Avery's eyes lit up a little.

"And I still do! Let's go!"

...

"Mmm! They're still as good as I remember! Oh, boy how I missed those." Marinette picked at her piece of cake with the fork, moving it around the plate. "You're avoiding the main thing."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"You don't wanna talk about it, do you?"

_'No. I don't.'_

"What makes you think that? I promised I'll tell you everything." Marinette gave her _the look_. Avery's shoulders dropped and she put the fork down, sighing.

"Fine. It's just that I feel like you're expecting an adventure. Honestly, it was pretty boring. It was just ballet, school, sleep. There wasn't much time for excitement. If we had any time left, we usually spent it on practice. That's how the ballet world is. It was a routine. And with my friends? We talked about our extensions, arches, and jumps. Not so interesting, is it?”

"Oh. I thought you had the time of your life." Avery smiled at that. "I did. Ballet_ is_ my life, remember?"

"Right." Marinette sighed, but then forced herself to put on a smile before Avery noticed. "So do you have pictures of your friends?"

"Obviously." She pulled her phone out, scrolling through her gallery and pulled up a picture of a blonde girl, her messy hair reaching down to her midback. "That's Katrina. Kat shortly. She is-_was_ my best friend. I swear the girl's amazing. She's from Sydney and her dream is to dance in Paris one day. Her parents are both famous choreographers. Who knows, maybe she'll come here one day."

_'Let's hope not. I don't want her to steal you from me again.'_ Marinette thought, shoving another piece of the cake in her mouth. "She looks cool."

* * *

About a week later, the principal stepped in the classroom, clearing his throat. "Good morning, students. As you know, our school is a school of arts. We try to support our students' imagination and individuality as much as we can, so the school board decided to make a few changes that will boost your quick thinking. This year, and also the years to follow, several new competitions and assignments will be assigned to you, students. Today, the ones who wish so will have to create a fashion piece. You only have one day to work on your fashion piece. And it must be your own design! In ten hours your finished presentation will be judged by none other than the great fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste; the father of our very own student, Adrien Agreste. In fact, Adrien will model the winning design in his next photoshoot!" Marinette squealed.

"And now to announce this year's theme. Derby hats!"

"Derby hats?" The girl repeated, confused.

Seriously?

...

"I don't see the problem. What's wrong with derby hats?" Avery asked, crossing her legs. The three girls, Alya, Marinette, and her, were sitting on the bench-well actually only Alya and Avery were sat down. Marinette, however, paced back and forth, trying to find something useful in her sketchbook. "Derby hats!? I don't have any derby hat designs! I've got top-hats, caps, even two-horned hats! Need a barret? I'm your girl! A sombrero!? No problemo! BUT A DERBY!?" She freaked. "Was she always like this?" Alya whispered. "Yep," Avery answered and let her hair down from her ponytail.

"You know what!? It won't even matter cause I'll probably make a total fool of myself at the event, most likely trip over my stupid derby and collapse on Mr. Agreste; give him a full-blown concussion and Adrien will hate me! I'll never be a world-known fashion designer! MY LIFE IS OVER!" And so, she collapsed her head onto Alya's lap.

"All this over a derby hat? Let me see your sketch pad, girl. There must be something in here!"

"Believe me, she's amazing at designing," Avery said, peeking over to see her designs. "Forget it, I'm a disaster. I'll probably mess everything up in the end. Avery can tell you, she's got experience with watching me mess things up."

"Wow, Alya! Those are some awesome designs! I didn't know you had such mad skills." Adrien suddenly appeared, looking at the sketch pad. Marinette fell on the ground in shock and hid behind the bench. "Marinette! Get over here." Avery hissed. "You said you'll act normal. This is not normal!"

Adrien, who stood right beside her, gave her a confused look, glancing over at Marinette who hid behind the bench, but then quickly returned his attention back to Alya.

"Uh, thanks Adrien, but I can't take the credit. These sick designs belong to Marinette! Off the chain, right?"

"You're super talented, Marinette. You seriously have a good chance of winning!"  
"Well, um yeah! I like designs that, um-" Alya gave her a thumbs up. Bad idea. "Uh, go upwards?" Avery facepalmed. She did not just say that. "While stopping. I mean, uh- thanks?"

Adrien only chuckled, brushing her odd behavior off, "Sure, and umm-good luck! Maybe I'll be wearing your derby on father's next photo shoot. Oh, and Avery?" the girl looked up. "You ready for your first shoot after the competition?"

"Yeah. Totally. Just a little nervous."

"Don't worry, you'll be great. By the way, can I look at your designs, if you don't mind, Marinette?"  
"Yeah! Go ahead! They might be a little all over the place." Alya gave him the pink sketchbook and he started flipping through the pages, impressed by what he saw inside. "Wow, you're really good! A sombrero? That's original. Well then, I better get going!"

"Girl, you gotta get a grip next time! But did you hear? Adrien thinks you're good enough to win!" the duo jumped in the air, celebrating. Avery sighed. She really was doing this model thing, wasn't she? But, what if... everything repeated itself? She didn't want that to happen. Not again, not in Paris. Not anywhere.

"You should start brainstorming for ideas." Alya checked the clock. "We only have 9 hours until showtime."

"Yikes! I'm off to my secret garden of inspiration. I'll see you later!"

* * *

Marinette sat at the steps of the Palais de Chaillot, trying to design a perfect derby hat. She took a look at the Eiffel Tower, her head in her hand, thinking. What would blow Mr.Agreste away? Does it have to be something spectacular, or should she go with something... simple? She tried to the Eiffel Tower design, the music design, something with flowers, a derby with ladybugs, a present-like design... nothing piqued her interest. "Geez, it's hard to be creative under pressure."

"Marinette, you save Paris under pressure. Creating a hat design should be a piece of cake!" her kwami commented. "Cake! Stylish and tasty," the partners giggled.

But this wasn't good. She was lacking inspiration.

A man suddenly sat on the bench, opposite of her. He started blowing in this bird-call, that apparently called the pigeons. A small cluster of them appeared in front of him only moments later. And then he started feeding them. Oh, he was that guy who was banned from every park in Paris for over-feeding the pigeons. "Well, happy day, happy day! Splendid as the afternoon day!" the man chuckled, throwing bread crumbs on the floor.

"Scram, you wing-rat! How many times do you need to be told, Mr. Ramier? NO. FEEDING. THE. PIGEONS. It's strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their waste everywhere!"

"But, who's going to feed my poor pigeons?"

"All of the park keepers know about you, Mr.Ramier! You're banned from every park in Paris! Leave now, or I'll call the authorities. Wait. I am the authorities. GET OUT!" The police officer yelled. It was kinda harsh. "Sheesh. I almost feel sorry for that man."

"What a unique character," Tikki added. "He was like... a human bird! All he needed was a feathery-jacket to complete the look!"

"A feathery jacket. Hmmm. I got it!"

A few minutes passed and Marinette finished her design. "Yes!" she exclaimed, holding her sketchpad in front of her to see the mistakes. Oblivious to Sabrina's and Chloe's devious plan, she hurried back home and started making her hat.

She felt so proud of her design. It felt like she had outdone herself. If only Mr. Agreste liked it.

When she was almost done, a thought crossed her mind. 

"Oh no Tikki! I forgot to pick up a pigeon feather! IT HAS TO HAVE A FEATHER!" And so she ran back to the Palais de Chaillot, searching for a perfect feather. Once she found it, she tried to catch the first bus back. There was no time to lose!

...

The bus wasn't moving. Like at all. They've been stuck in traffic for at least fifteen minutes and Marinette was starting to feel nervous. "Come on! Can't we go any faster?" she asked, standing up.

"Sorry folks, we have a situation here. You'll need to get off the bus now." Marinette stared at the bundle of pigeons in front of the bus. As she got off, she looked around and to her surprise, they were everywhere! On the streets, on the buildings, traffic lights... What was going on?

She walked over to the news on a screen, where Nadja Chamack carefully, as always, explained the situation. "Pigeons have taken over Paris. This is just one of the many alarming situations, giving authorities cause for major concern. I've just been told that someone named...Mr. Pigeon is making an announcement. Let's see what he has to say."

"Ohh, dreary day, poor Parisians! Rrooo rolooo!" he cooed. "Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but Paris belongs to the pigeons now! Rroo rolooo! Flap flap!" Marinette quickly ran to the metro and hid, making sure there were no cameras or anyone around before she transformed.

"Paris needs us."

* * *

"Now this is weird." Ladybug exclaimed, staring at a few groups of pigeons, which flew in the same direction in the shape of airplanes.

"Birds of a feather, flock together!" Her partner added, lying on top of the roof, his head propped up by his arm. He sneezed loudly, which caused him to roll down the roof, striking a pose before his lady. "I'm allergic to feathers," he admitted, jumping to his feet.

"That's helpful."

"Tell me about it!" he stopped himself from sneezing again. "These birds are only a part of the problem. The parkkeepers are vanishing one by one without a trace."

"What? We've gotta find this Mr. Pigeon ASAP."

"And where are we gonna find him?" Chat asked.

"Hmm, I don't know, but I know where he's gonna find us."

And thus, Chat Noir ended up in the park, with a police hat on his head, whistling and showing off his swag while waiting for the pigeons.

"Act natural, or he'll never show up!" Ladybug reminded him, peeking her head from behind a tree.

"What do you mean!? I am acting natural!" he said, moonwalking and trying to lock eyes with the girl. She only facepalmed in response.

A few minutes passed, and Ladybug was getting impatient. She didn't have time. Not today of all days. Could the bird-man just show up already so she could get back to work?

Chat sneezed loudly. Again. 

Here we go.

A cluster of pigeons formed this type of cage and trapped the superhero, taking him somewhere. "What the!?" It all lasted less than five seconds, so the girl couldn't react fast enough to save him, but she followed the birds. What were they gonna do to him anyway? Poop?

The birds released Chat on top of the Le Grand Paris Hotel. He sneezed again, dusting off the feathers, nodding at his partner as she joined him. "Where's that bird brain?"

Right on cue, the akumatized Mr.Pigeon appeared, standing on the pigeons, his arms crossed. Yes. It didn't make any sense. He whistled into his birdcall, ordering the birds to block their way. "Call me crazy, but I feel like birdseed all of a sudden."

"Got any bright ideas bug?"

"You're the cat! Don't you eat these things for breakfast?" And before they could escape, a cage dropped around them. The main question here wasn't how the pigeons did that. It was more like...Where did they get a cage like that anyway? A circus? Didn't they use cages like this for monkeys or something?

"Rooorooloo! Your miraculous! Give them to me or face the wrath of my feathered friends." he whistled into his birdcall once again. "DADDADEE ON THE COUNT OF THREE MY BELOVED PIGEONS WILL COMMENCE FIRE! You can still save your sorry skin by handing me your miraculous!"

"One."

"Two."

"Cataclysm!"

Before the man could come to three, the cage fell apart and his pigeons scattered. The duo spun their weapons in their hands, giving off a cool aura. Chat smirked at the man, who started backing away. "Well well! Looks like the pigeon is really a chicken!"

...

"I've gotta get out of here before my secret's out." Chat warned his partner, who stopped to think for a second. "Yeah, you wouldn't wanna let the cat out of the bag."

"Haha, very funny," he muttered sarcastically, following her to the ground floor.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! I'm in big danger of losing big bucks if my guests are to leave Paris! You are going to rid Paris of those...pigeons, aren't you?" The mayor rushed over to them, begging them to help.

"Of course we are, but before we do... I have an urgent need!" 

"An urgent need? Ahh, I see. Head to the royal suite." He ran into the elevator with the butler. "There's paper in there...Or would you perhaps prefer... a litter tray?" The man chuckled at his own joke. "No need! But could I have some camembert?" the cat-hero asked before the door closed. The mayor gave Ladybug a confused look, which she returned along with a shrug. "I don't know."

"Excuse me, sorry!" Chat apologized as he slammed the door in the butler's face. "Emergency!" he knocked on the door a second later. "How would you like your camembert?"

"Runny!" He responded, slamming the door in his face once again. Another second later, he knocked again. The butler stood in front of the door, holding a tray. "Unpasteurized camembert, matured for two years." Chat immediately took the tray and slammed the door in his face again. Almost immediately after, his transformation worn off. Phew.

Ladybug walked out of the elevator, now situated at a higher floor. "Great. I can get a much better view from up here," she mumbled to herself, observing the strange behavior of the pigeons. "They're all headed in the same direction. Better go follow them."

A ring interrupted her thoughts and she turned around, locking eyes with her partner, who stood against the wall, striking a cool pose. "Ready when you are, LB."

* * *

The ballet classes finished as well as the designer competition. Avery was kinda bummed out that she missed it. Apparently, Marinette designed a really cool hat and won! Alya sent her a picture. It was amazing. She was talented, no question there. And according to Alya, Chloe tried to copy her design, but the sly Mari had a trump card up her sleeve. Her secret signature. She was a true designer, a true talent. There was no doubt she'd succeed one day.

Avery wondered if that'd be the case with her. Ballet wasn't like anything else. You can be talented, but one wrong move, and you can snap your ankle, dislocate your knee or snap your hip. And just like that, you can kiss your dance career goodbye for a year, or worse; forever. Ballet was a gamble. A gamble between your body, mind, and physics. There was only a 1% chance that you could win the game without getting hurt. Everyone knew that. But no one was prepared to give it up. Every dancer believed that they were the chosen ones. That they'd be dancing the next lead role. They believed in that 1%. That's what keeps them going. That's how they tick. Dancers. It's all about working hard and being the chosen one that makes it.

Avery rang the doorbell of the huge mansion. It was around four o'clock. That was Adrien's place? Wow. It wasn't that surprising. His father was a worldwide known fashion designer. If he had the money, he might as well used it. Nothing wrong with that. A camera burst out of the wall, making the girl jump back in surprise. "You must be Miss Chastain. Please come in." A robot-like voice said, and she recognized it as the voice of Mr. Agreste's secretary. "Oh, okay." the huge metal gate opened and Avery entered. The house was huge... And she thought she lived in a pretty big apartment. 

A big, scary-looking man let her inside, not saying a word. "Hello, I'm Avery," she tried to make a conversation, offering him her hand with a smile. He only motioned for her to enter the dining room, where a woman stood, checking Adrien's homework. Guess that's Nathalie Sancoeur.

"Hey, Avery. Glad you came." Adrien waved at her. "It_ is_ a job. You kinda have to show up, ya know?" She joked. The boy scratched the back of his head and gave her an awkward smile. "True."

"Miss Chastain, if you'll follow me to the storage room, where you'll try on your pointe shoes and once you choose your pair, you'll continue with Mr. Vincent who's waiting in the photography studio. Adrien, you should put on the outfit I've prepared for you. Be ready in 10 minutes. You'll start while we pick out the shoes."

"Pointes? But I thought it was only the leotards. I have my shoes here." she pulled the old pointes out of her bag with a big smile on her face. Nathalie and Adrien sweatdropped. "They seem a bit...worn out."

"Oh, right." she took a look at the shoes in her hand, noticing how worn out they looked and shoved them back in her bag. "Sorry," she tried to laugh it off, but the woman continued talking, probably pretending she didn't see that. "The Gabriel brand also launches a new pointe line every 5 years. You'll be provided with free supplies if you wish."

"Umm sure. Thanks."

_Free pointes? Heck, yes._

"Okay, have fun. You'll do great." the boy gave her a thumbs up and then walked upstairs, presumably to his room.

...

"I feel like the box is too tapered. Can I try another pair?" Avery asked, excited about the pretty pointes. Pointe shoe fitting was one of her favorite things to do. As weird as it sounded, she loved trying on new types of shoes, even though she always ended up having the same Bloch Heritage model. But these Gabriels felt so awesome! She might even change her favorite model to one of his shoes!

"Yes of course. I also noticed that the heel is also slipping off. Maybe we should try another model."

"Yeah, that too. I'd also go with the hard shank if that's okay," the woman nodded and searched through the boxes on the shelves, checking the numbers on them. Then she stopped and took out another box. "Okay. Try these on." 

"Were you a dancer? You seem to know a lot about pointe shoes." Avery asked as she sat on the chair and put the shoes on. The woman's expression remained stoic. "Let's not discuss the unimportant details. What you should focus now, is finding the right pair for you to be in for the next few hours."

"Oh, okay." she then stood up and went to the barre. "Demi-plie." As commanded, Avery immediately went down into a demi-plie. "Try going on pointe. How does it feel?"

"Wow! Are you serious? They feel so light! I love them!"

"Good. They fit you very nicely. I'll send a few pairs to your address."

"Oh, that's really nice of you. Thank you."

"No problem at all. Now the last thing is the leotard. I've prepared the entire collection in the photography studio. Follow me." 

Without a question, she followed the woman to the white room, where Adrien already posed in a black hoodie. "Is that my new modella!? Perfezionare!" A man with an italian accent jumped up n excitement, checking her up and down, a smile on his face saying that he was clearly satisfied with her. "Adrien, let's finish this quickly so you can go have your free time, and I can work with my new Stella! You should go and change in the meantime." The photographer with a strong Italian accent pointed to the clothes rack, where at least a dozen leotards were hung.

Avery nodded and grabbed one of the leotards and white tights, heading to the bathroom next door. She looked at herself in the mirror. Those leotards were perfect. Good material, light, cute design. How did Gabriel do it? As Marinette said, he was one of a kind. The man designed everything! Sport clothes, horse riding shoes, jewelry, high fashion designs, winter jackets, glorious accessories, fencing suits, pointe shoes. Was there anything he didn't do?! She was amazed. Maybe this whole thing wouldn't be so bad. As long as it wouldn't mess up her schedule. Plus, she could get free samples.

* * *

"OMG Avery! You're on the cover of the new issue of TEEN VOGUE! I can't believe this! You look so perfect!" Marinette stared at the magazine in her hand, inspecting every detail. "Look at her, Alya! How can she be so perfect!?" Avery closed the magazine, a light blush on her cheeks. "Marinette, stop. Don't make a big deal out of it. It's just a few pictures in a magazine," she tried to remain calm, fighting off her blush. Was that really her? She looked so...different. So perfect.

_Too perfect._

"Oh, no, no, no," Alya corrected her. "It is a big deal, girl! We're talking about the cover of the most popular teen magazine in France! You're way too humble. You're gonna be famous! Can I get an interview?"

"Alya! Not you too! I think you should stay with Ladybug and Chat Noir. They're more your style."

"True, but I still wouldn't mind interviewing you someday."

Avery giggled, "Sure. Someday."

"Hey Nino, Adrien, have you seen the new TEEN VOGUE magazine?" Alya asked the moment the two boys stepped in. "No! Alya!" Avery tried to grab the magazine from her but failed. The brunette threw it across the classroom, right into Nino's hands. "You look cool, dudette!" he complimented Avery, who shook her head in embarrassment. "Thanks, I guess. But the thing we should be focused right now is Marinette's amazing hat! Show me more pictures!" she ordered the girl and scooched her over, taking a look at her phone. "How did you come up with it?"

"Okay, so that's the funny story. There was this man who fed the pigeons at the Trocadero..."

***

Miss Bustier entered the classroom and Avery walked over to her seat, starting to chat with her seatmate, Alix, while the teacher began taking roll as usual. "Marinette! Congratulations on winning! I'm very proud. I hope we'll see more of your creativity again. The same goes for all of you. I expect you to be creative! Think with an open mind, and you'll succeed in life."

"Listen to the teacher, Chastain. She said an open mind. Not everything is about ballet," Chloé snickered, turning around to look at Avery, who only smiled. "You too, Chlo. Not everything is about you."

"Hmph!"

...

It was night again. Avery was laying in the bed, deep under the covers, staring at the ceiling. She talked to her mother about the whole cancer thing. 

It didn't go well. But she knew nothing could be done about it. So being upset about fate wouldn't solve anything. All she could do was stay by her side and watch.

Her mother was an honest woman. Way too honest. She could've lied and spared her feelings, but... she couldn't. She was being mature about it and everything, but...how could a child take this kind of news? She had kidney cancer and was currently on chemo, which meant she had to spend days at the hospital. Avery promised she'd be there for her, heck she'd even give up ballet for her. If it meant that she'd live, then she'd do it in a flash. But...Isabelle Chastain, the stubborn mother of Avery, wanted her to just live normally and try to forget about the whole thing. 

As if that was possible. How the hell was she gonna live without her?

She texted Katrina.

_Avery: '_хэй..._ я хочу поговорить с тобой'_

She waited for minutes, hours even but she didn't get a reply. Kat was probably fast asleep by now. As much as she loved being back in Paris, there were things, people she could never replace. It's not like she didn't feel the same way about her old friends like Marinette, Alix, Juleka, and others when she first came to Moscow, but back then she had a clear goal in mind. Now, she was starting to regret being so obsessed with ballet. Ballet has already taken away important people in her life and now, it was taking her mother too.

It _was_ 2 am. Kicking the covers off in frustration, she changed out of her pajamas and put on her clothes and shoes. She sneaked out. Again. 

Like any time when she had to think, Avery stood at the bridge, her head in her arms, staring at the city of lights. She put her jacket on as a breeze hit her forearms, making her skin crawl. Why did she keep doing this? No idea, but it calmed her down. She could just tune out the noise and watch. This time, she didn't have the energy to dance. She felt too empty. 

"How come you're not dancing today? Thought you'd be happy getting on a magazine cover," A voice behind her said. Avery didn't need to turn around to know it was Chat Noir. But right now, she couldn't care less.

"You too? Why does everybody care about a stupid magazine?! It's just a few pictures. It's not like I'll become a supermodel or anything." The hero sat on the stone railing, looking down at her sad face.

"What's up? Why are you so sad?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oh okay. Just don't let your emotions get the better of you." Emotions? All she felt was this emptiness. That's how's she's been feeling for a while now. 

"That's how you turn into an Akuma victim. I wouldn't wanna fight against a pretty lady like you. Though I think you'd look purr-ty in an Akuma costume," he wiggled his eyebrows... Avery burst into laughter. Did he just make a cat pun?

"And she laughs. I'm told this is one of the effects I have on the ladies," he said, running his clawed hand through his messy locks, striking a cool pose while showing off his muscles.

"You're such a dork."

"I get that quite often from My lady-I mean Ladybug!" he blushed quickly, trying to fix his slip up. Avery smiled serenely, that everlasting numbness inside turning into a comfortable peace. That's how she coped. If she couldn't feel anything positive, she made sure to not feel anything bad either. It worked like meditation. She also gave off that mature vibe. It was one of the perks. People found her chill attitude cool.

"So, you're crushing on the superheroine, huh?" Of course, he'd go for Ladybug. Who wouldn't? She's perfect. They fight crime together._ They're_ perfect. It's not like she cared or anything. She just thought that maybe, just maybe he'd like her. It was perfectly fine though. She didn't like him either. Chat scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.

"It seems like it. I might need a little work with that. She's a tough nut to crack." Then she remembered what a ladies man he was. He only saved Paris a few times with his partner, but everyone knew that he was a massive flirt.

"Well, honestly, you two would make the perfect couple. You're superheroes, she has the power of creation, you, power of destruction. You're light day and night. Ying Yang. A perfect match. I wouldn't be worried if I were you."

"You think so? I guess it's only a matter of time then, huh?"

Avery sighed as another tourist boat passed by. "Yeah." Chat glanced at the strawberry blonde. She seemed so...lonely. “Hey, I don't know if it'll help, but if you ever wanna talk, I'm an option too, ya know? I might not be good at giving advice, but whatever's going on, I promise to at least listen."

"Thanks, I'll remember that. You're a great superhero. Ladybug will see that soon, promise."

"Okay! GIMME A HUG NOW! WIPE THAT POUT OFF YOUR FACE!" The strawberry blonde giggled as the boy wrapped her in his arms, pulling her in a big, warm bear hug. The numbness in her stomach had disappeared and a new, warm feeling had found itself in the pit of her stomach. She tightened the grip around his upper back, suddenly_ feeling_ something.

"Thanks, Chat_._"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a quick translation for that text:   
хэй... я хочу поговорить с тобой-Hey, I want to talk to you.  
Hope you enjoyed,
> 
> Love, Coocoo


	4. Mr. Pigeon

"Miss Le Haut, Nixon and Chastain! Redo the last part!" Madame Milliner cut off the three dancers, who immediately got in their positions once again, sweat forming on their foreheads. She replayed the music and the girls waited for their cues and began again. "Sydney Nixon! Turnout, keep your knee still!"

"Again!"

Avery exhaled as she felt her arms shake, indicating how tired she was from the practice. She was still a little out of it. So much has happened over the past two days that she was still a little shaken. A stone monster, almost killing her. When she recalled falling from the Eiffel Tower, her muscles tensed. It wasn't nice. "Miss Chastain! Relax. You're ruining your lines!"

Right.

"Again!"

'Focus.'

"Better. Now, let's do it again from the top. What are you waiting for?" she glared at the students on the sidelines. "Get to your positions! "

With barely any time to breathe, the music started again. This time from the top. Everyone was exhausted. It was a bad day, getting Mrs. Milliner so soon. Their actual professor was Mr. LeClair, but he had to leave for a few days due to personal reasons. So the third year got stuck with the strictest instructor in the school besides Mr. Merante, the principal. They were only an hour into the practice and most of them were already covered in sweat, blisters forming under the worn-out pointe shoes.

"Ballet is about two things. Technique and expression. Expressions are easy to master, yet most of you don't even make an effort." Typical strict ballet professor. Avery knew how that worked. They gave you critical comments about something that was solid, or even good and concealed their satisfaction, pushing you to your limit. And honestly, she liked it this way. There was always something to improve, always something to work on. Be it extensions, turns, jumps, turnouts, or expressions in this case. If she'd say how good her technique was, there'd be nothing to fix. Avery, just like almost any ballet dancer, was a type of person, who needed to be criticized to push herself. And that's why she liked the black-haired Madame. She was a pro at criticizing and at pushing her students to their limits. Chloe could probably even rival her.

"A professional always knows how to keep on a good expression. Just because you're tired, doesn't mean you're allowed to show that to your audience. Ballet, to outsiders, is flawless. You have to make it look easy. That is your first priority."

'Easy?' Sean wondered. 'Yeah, I don't think so.'

The class ended after an hour or so and before she dismissed her students, Mrs. Milliner took a look at her phone. "As of tomorrow, I'll be your official teacher. Mr.LeClair was assigned to work with the first years. I expect you to be prepared to work harder than ever before. I will also be checking your notes of today's class tomorrow. I hope you were paying attention. Have a nice afternoon. And don't forget to stretch before you leave."

The woman then took her clipboard and left. 

"That was tough, wasn't it? I feel like I'm going to die." Sean told the strawberry blonde who wiped her sweat off her forehead with her towel and drank some water. "Yea, how do you feel about her being our new teacher?" She asked, following Sean to the barre to stretch. "Honestly, not too excited. I know she's the best, but she's giving me this scary vibe."

"Trust me, it's for the best. With her, we'll improve a lot. Way more than Mr. LeClair. She's scary, I know, but for a good reason."

"Hey, Avery, Sean! Wanna come to my place with Cheryl and Tom so we can do our homework?" Sydney asked, letting her hair down and brushed it through with her fingers. "Sure, no problem," Sean responded happily. Avery shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, I already have plans with one of my classmates. I need to catch up with school too."

"Right, things have been pretty crazy for you, hah? You got kidnapped by that monster?" Sydney asked, laughing. "Yeah, I was. And I still have to unpack a few of the boxes. So much has happened in these two days that I didn't have time to breathe." Avery breathed out, taking her pointe shoes off. 

"We can offer you a hand with the unpacking if you want." Sydney offered, telling Tom to wait at the lobby after he took a shower.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Thanks, though." She shook her shoulders. "Okay, then. Let's take a shower and leave. I hope you all have umbrellas. It's pouring buckets outside. But next time, you're coming with us. You seem like a pretty cool gal. I wanna get to know ya."

The trio burst into laughter. "Thanks. I'm all yours next time. Sounds good?"

"Perfect!"

"Avery! You came!" Mrs. Cheng welcomed the strawberry blonde in the bakery, wrapping her in a small embrace. "Tom! Tell Marinette to come down!" the woman ordered her husband who rushed up to their apartment immediately. "Marinette! Avery's here!"

"How was practice, dear? You must be tired. Do you want something to eat?"  
"I'm good, thanks."

"Avery! Come up!"

"Okay, time to tell me everything! I wanna know every single detail!" Marinette sat her friend down on the lounge chair and plopped herself beside her, a wide grin on her face. She couldn't wait! She got her friend back!  
"Okay, just one question, before we start. Did you do your homework already?"

Marinette gasped, her eyes widened and mouth agape. After that, she faceplanted the floor. "OH NO!!"

"You're still overreacting as always, hah?" her friend gave her a blank stare and plopped herself on the chair, pulling out her books. Avery followed her. "You had 3 hours. What were you doing?"

"I was drawing?"

"You still wanna become a fashion designer, right?" Avery asked her, solving the equation with ease. "Yep! Omg, I need to show you my idol's designs! They're so amazing!"

"Homework first!"

"Oh, come on! I can't wait to see his new line of leotards! I'm sure you'd look so good in them!" 

Leotards? 

Avery leaned back on the chair, sighing.

"Let me guess, Gabriel Agreste?"

"OMG! How did you know? Are you his fan too? I mean I wouldn't even be surprised- he's one of a kind!" the girl rambled, flipping through one of his magazines. "He scouted me to model for this 'new line of leotards'." Marinette froze, her mouth agape. Then she jumped in the air. "THAT IS SO AWESOME! Omg! You'll be famous! When do you start?!"

Avery chuckled at her behavior. She was so extra. "I'm still waiting for Agreste junior to reply. He said he'll tell me when his father organizes a shoot. Talking about him, how did it go with Adrien? Did he apologize?" A blush appeared on Marinette's cheeks. "Yeah. He didn't put the gum on my seat. He was trying to take it off."

"You're blushing...Do you have a crush on him?" Avery teased. "Uh-NO! Um I mean- he's not what I thought he was-Ugh! YES! I think I do!"

"Well, it might even work out. I mean his personality is okay from what I've noticed. Though he might be a little shy. Controlling parents and all that, ya know? But... you might be a little too crazy for him."

"Avery what do I do!? I can't stop thinking about him! He even gave me his umbrella!"

"Well good for you. I think you should just act normal. Acting all weird around him would kinda freak him out. Remember George from grade 5? You totally freaked him out with your stuttering."

"That was supposed to be forgotten! But, yeah. I'm way more mature now. I can act normal. Easy peasy."

'We'll see about that.'

"We'll figure that out later. Homework."

About five minutes later, Marinette groaned, throwing her face in her hands."I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO SOLVE THIS! IT'S ONLY BEEN THREE DAYS OF SCHOOL AND I'M ALREADY FAILING!"

"I'm surprised you lasted..." she took a glance at her phone, "...5 minutes. Come on. Let's get to work."

"But it's our catch-up afternoon!"

"Homework first," Avery teased. "Ugh, fine."

By the time they finished, Marinette couldn't think anymore. Avery punched her arm. "We're done, weirdo. I'm craving something from the bakery. Any recommendations?" She asked, putting her notebook in her bag. "My dad was working on a few raspberry shortcakes. You used to love those." Avery's eyes lit up a little."And I still do! Let's go!"

...

"Mmm! They're still as good as I remember! Oh, boy how I missed those." Marinette picked at her piece of cake with the fork, moving it around the plate. "You're avoiding the main thing."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"You don't wanna talk about it, do you?"

'No. I don't.'

"What makes you think that? I promised I'll tell you everything." Marinette gave her the look. Avery's shoulders dropped and she put the fork down, sighing. "Fine. It's just that I feel like you're expecting an adventure. Honestly, it was pretty boring. It was just ballet, school, ballet. There wasn't much time for excitement. If we had any time left, we usually spent it on practice. That's how the ballet world is. It was a routine. And with my friends? We talked about our extensions, arches, and jumps. Not so interesting, is it?”

"Oh. I thought you had the time of your life." Avery smiled at that. "I did. Ballet is my life, remember?"

"Right. So do you have pictures of your friends?"

"Obviously." She pulled her phone out, scrolling through her gallery. "That's Katrina. Kat shortly. She is-was my best friend. I swear the girl's amazing. She's from Sydney and her dream is to dance in Paris one day. Her parents are both famous choreographers. Who knows, maybe she'll come here one day."

'Let's hope not. I don't want her to steal you from me again.' Marinette thought, shoving another piece of the cake in her mouth. "She looks nice."

About a week later, the principal stepped in the classroom, clearing his throat. "Good morning, students. As you know, our school is a school of arts. We try to support our students' imagination and individuality as much as we can, so the school board decided to make a few changes that will boost your quick thinking. This year, and also the years to follow, several new competitions and assignments will be assigned to you, students. Today, the ones who wish so, will have to create a fashion piece. You only have one day to work on your fashion piece. And it must be your own design! In ten hours your finished presentation will be judged by none other than the great fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste; the father of our very own student, Adrien Agreste. In fact, Adrien will model the winning design in his next photoshoot!" Marinette squealed.

"And now to announce this year's theme. Derby hats!"

"Derby hats?" The girl repeated, confused.

Seriously?

...

"I don't see the problem. What's wrong with derby hats?" Avery asked, crossing her legs. The three girls, Alya, Marinette and her, were sitting on the bench-well actually only Alya and Avery were sat down. Marinette, however, paced back and forth, trying to find something useful in her sketchbook. "Derby hats!? I don't have any derby hat designs! I've got top-hats, caps, even two-horned hats! Need a barret? I'm your girl! A sombrero!? No problemo! BUT A DERBY!?" She freaked. "Was she always like this?" Alya whispered. "Yep," Avery answered and let her hair down from her ponytail.

"You know what!? It won't even matter cause I'll probably make a total fool of myself at the event, most likely trip over my stupid derby and collapse on Mr. Agreste; give him a full-blown concussion and Adrien will hate me! I'll never be a world-known fashion designer! MY LIFE IS OVER!" And so, she collapsed her head onto Alya's lap.

"All this over a derby hat? Let me see your sketch pad, girl. There must be something in here!"

"Believe me, she's amazing at designing," Avery said, peeking over to see her designs. "Forget it, I'm a disaster. I'll probably mess everything up in the end. Avery can tell you, she's got experience with watching me mess things up."

"Wow, Alya! Those are some awesome designs! I didn't know you had such mad skills." Adrien suddenly appeared, looking at the sketch pad. Marinette fell on the ground in shock and hid behind the bench. "Marinette! Get over here." Avery hissed. "You said you'll act normal. This is not normal!"

"Uh, thanks Adrien, but I can't take the credit. These sick designs belong to Marinette! Off the chain, right?"

"You're super talented, Marinette. You seriously have a good chance of winning!"  
"Well, um yeah! I like designs that, um-" Alya gave her a thumbs up. Bad idea. "Uh, go upwards?" Avery facepalmed. She did not just say that. "While stopping. I mean, uh- thanks?"

Adrien only chuckled, brushing her odd behavior off, "sure, and umm-good luck! Maybe I'll be wearing your derby on father's next photo shoot. Oh, and Avery?" the girl looked up. "You ready for your first shoot after the competition?"

"Yeah. Totally. Just a little nervous."

"Don't worry, you'll be great. By the way, can I look at your designs, if you don't mind, Marinette?"  
"Yeah! Go ahead! They might be a little all over the place." Alya gave him the pink sketchbook and he started flipping through the pages, impressed by what he saw inside. "Wow, you're really good! A sombrero? That's original. Well then, I better get going!"

"Girl, you gotta get a grip next time! But did you hear? Adrien thinks you're good enough to win!" the duo jumped in the air, celebrating. Avery sighed. She really was doing this model thing, wasn't she? But, what if... everything repeated itself? She didn't want that to happen. Not again, not in Paris. Not anywhere.

"You should start brainstorming for ideas." Alya checked the clock. "We only have 9 hours until showtime."

"Yikes! I'm off to my secret garden of inspiration. I'll see you later!"

Marinette sat at the steps of the Palais de Chaillot, trying to design a perfect derby hat. She took a look at the Eiffel Tower, her head in her hand, thinking. What would blow Mr.Agreste away? Does it have to be something spectacular, or should she go with something... simple? She tried to the Eiffel Tower design, the music design, something with flowers, a derby with ladybugs, a present-like design... nothing piqued her interest. "Geez, it's hard to be creative under pressure."

"Marinette, you save Paris under pressure. Creating a hat design should be a piece of cake!" her kwami commented. "Cake! Stylish and tasty," the partners giggled.

But this wasn't good. She was lacking inspiration.

A man suddenly sat on the bench, opposite of her. He started blowing in this bird-call, that apparently called the pigeons. A small cluster of them appeared in front of him only moments later. And then he started feeding them. Oh, he was that guy who was banned from every park in Paris for over-feeding the pigeons. "Well, happy day, happy day! Splendid as the afternoon day!" the man chuckled, throwing bread crumbs on the floor.

"Scram, you wing-rat! How many times do you need to be told, Mr. Ramier? NO. FEEDING. THE. PIGEONS. It's strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their waste everywhere!"

"But, who's going to feed my poor pigeons?"

"All of the park keepers know about you, Mr.Ramier! You're banned from every park in Paris! Leave now, or I'll call the authorities. Wait. I am the authorities. GET OUT!" The police officer yelled. It was kinda harsh. "Sheesh. I almost feel sorry for that man."

"What a unique character," Tikki added. "He was like... a human bird! All he needed was a feathery-jacket to complete the look!"

"A feathery jacket. Hmmm. I got it!"

A few minutes passed and Marinette finished her design. "Yes!" she exclaimed, holding her sketchpad in front of her to see the mistakes. Oblivious to Sabrina's and Chloe's devious plan, she hurried back home and started making her hat.

She felt so proud of her design. It felt like she had outdone herself. If only Mr. Agreste liked it.

When she was almost done, a thought crossed her mind. She forgot to pick up a feather!

"Oh no Tikki! I forgot to pick up a pigeon feather! IT HAS TO HAVE A FEATHER!" And so she ran back to the Palais de Chaillot, searching for a perfect feather. Once she found it, she tried to catch the first bus back. There was no time to lose!

...

The bus wasn't moving. Like at all. They've been stuck in traffic for at least fifteen minutes and Marinette was starting to feel nervous. "Come on! Can't we go any faster?" she asked, standing up.

"Sorry folks, we have a situation here. You'll need to get off the bus now." Marinette stared at the bundle of pigeons in front of the bus. As she got off, she looked around and to her surprise, they were everywhere! On the streets, on the buildings, traffic lights... What was going on?

She walked over to the news on a screen, where Nadja Chamack carefully, as always, explained the situation. "Pigeons have taken over Paris. This is just one of the many alarming situations, giving authorities cause for major concern. I've just been told that someone named...Mr. Pigeon is making an announcement. Let's see what he has to say."

"Ohh, dreary day, poor Parisians! Rrooo rolooo!" he cooed. "Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but Paris belongs to the pigeons now! Rroo rolooo! Flap flap!" Marinette quickly ran to the metro and hid, making sure there were no cameras or anyone around before she transformed.

"Paris needs us."

"Now this is weird." Ladybug exclaimed, staring at a few groups of pigeons, which flew in the same direction in a shape of airplanes.

"Birds of a feather, flock together!" Her partner added, lying on top of the roof, his head propped up by his arm. He sneezed loudly, which caused him to roll down the roof, striking a pose before his lady. "I'm allergic to feathers," he admitted, jumping to his feet.

"That's helpful."

"Tell me about it!" he stopped himself from sneezing again. "These birds are only a part of the problem. The parkkeepers are vanishing one by one without a trace."

"What? We've gotta find this Mr. Pigeon ASAP."

"And where are we gonna find him?" Chat asked.

"Hmm, I don't know, but I know where he's gonna find us."

And thus, Chat Noir ended up in the park, with a police hat on his head, whistling and showing off his swag while waiting for the pigeons.

"Act natural, or he'll never show up!" Ladybug reminded him, peeking her head from behind a tree.

"What do you mean!? I am acting natural!" he said, moonwalking and trying to lock eyes with the girl. She only facepalmed in response.

A few minutes passed, and Ladybug was getting impatient. She didn't have time. Not today of all days. Could the bird-man just show up already so she could get back to work?

Chat sneezed loudly. Again. 

Here we go.

A cluster of pigeons formed this type of cage and trapped the superhero, taking him somewhere. "What the!?" It all lasted less than five seconds, so the girl couldn't react fast enough to save him, but she followed the birds. What were they gonna do to him anyway? Poop?

The birds released Chat on top of the Le Grand Paris Hotel. He sneezed again, dusting off the feathers, nodding at his partner as she joined him. "Where's that bird brain?"

Right on cue, the akumatized Mr.Pigeon appeared, standing on the pigeons, his arms crossed. Yes. It didn't make any sense. He whistled into his birdcall, ordering the birds to block their way. "Call me crazy, but I feel like birdseed all of a sudden."

"Got any bright ideas bug?"

"You're the cat! Don't you eat these things for breakfast?" And before they could escape, a cage dropped around them. The main question here wasn't how the pigeons did that. It was more like...Where did they get a cage like that anyway? A circus? Didn't they use cages like this for monkeys or something?

"Rooorooloo! Your miraculous! Give them to me or face the wrath of my feathered friends." he whistled into his birdcall once again. "DADDADEE ON THE COUNT OF THREE MY BELOVED PIGEONS WILL COMMENCE FIRE! You can still save your sorry skin by handing me your miraculous!"

"One."

"Two."

"Cataclysm!"

Before the man could come to three, the cage fell apart and his pigeons scattered. The duo spun their weapons in their hands, giving off a cool aura. Chat smirked at the man, who started backing away. "Well well! Looks like the pigeon is really a chicken!"

...

"I've gotta get out of here before my secret's out." Chat warned his partner, who stopped to think for a second. "Yeah, you wouldn't wanna let the cat out of the bag."

"Haha, very funny," he muttered sarcastically, following her to the ground floor.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! I'm in big danger of losing big bucks if my guests are to leave Paris! You are going to rid Paris of those...pigeons, aren't you?" The mayor rushed over to them, begging them to help.

"Of course we are, but before we do... I have an urgent need!" 

"An urgent need? Ahh, I see. Head to the royal suite." He ran into the elevator with the butler. "There's paper in there...Or would you perhaps prefer... a litter tray?" The man chuckled at his own joke. "No need! But could I have some camembert?" the cat-hero asked before the door closed. The mayor gave Ladybug a confused look, which she returned along with a shrug. "I don't know."

"Excuse me, sorry!" Chat apologized as he slammed the door in the butler's face. "Emergency!" he knocked on the door a second later. "How would you like your camembert?"

"Runny!" He responded, slamming the door in his face once again. Another second later, he knocked again. The butler stood in front of the door, holding a tray. "Unpasteurized camembert, matured for two years." Chat immediately took the tray and slammed the door in his face again. Almost immediately after, his transformation worn off. Phew.

Ladybug walked out of the elevator, now situated at a higher floor. "Great. I can get a much better view from up here," she mumbled to herself, observing the strange behavior of the pigeons. "They're all headed in the same direction. Better go follow them."

A ring interrupted her thoughts and she turned around, locking eyes with her partner, who stood against the wall, striking a cool pose. "Ready when you are, LB."

The ballet classes finished as well as the designer competition. Avery was kinda bummed out that she missed it. Apparently, Marinette designed a really cool hat and won! Alya sent her a picture. It was amazing. She was talented, no question there. And according to Alya, Chloe tried to copy her design, but the sly Mari had a trump card up her sleeve. Her secret signature. She was a true designer, a true talent. There was no doubt she'd succeed one day.

Avery wondered if that'd be the case with her. Ballet wasn't like anything else. You can be talented, but one wrong move and you can snap your ankle, dislocate your knee or snap your hip. And just like that, you can kiss your dance career goodbye for a year, or worse; forever. Ballet was a gamble. A gamble between your body, mind, and physics. There was only a 1% chance that you could win the game without getting hurt. Everyone knew that. But no one was prepared to give it up. Every dancer believed that they were the chosen one. That they'd be dancing the next lead role. They believed in that 1%. That's what keeps them going. That's how they tick. Dancers. It's all about working hard and being the chosen one that makes it.

Avery rang the doorbell of the huge mansion. It was around four o'clock. That was Adrien's place? Wow. It wasn't that surprising. His father was a worldwide known fashion designer. If he had the money, he might as well used it. Nothing wrong with that. A camera burst out of the wall, making the girl jump back in surprise. "You must be Miss Chastain. Please come in." A robot-like voice said, and she recognized it as the voice of Mr. Agreste's secretary. "Oh, okay." the huge metal gate opened and Avery entered. The house was huge... And she thought she lived in a pretty big apartment. 

A big, scary-looking man let her inside, not saying a word. "Hi, I'm Avery," she tried to make a conversation, offering him her hand with a smile. He only motioned for her to enter the dining room, where a woman stood, checking Adrien's homework. Guess that's Nathalie Sancoeur.

"Hey, Avery. Glad you came." Adrien waved at her. "It is a job. You kinda have to show up, ya know?" She joked. The boy scratched the back of his head and gave her an awkward smile. "True."

"Miss Chastain, if you'll follow me to the storage room, where you'll try on your pointe shoes and once you choose your pair, you'll continue with Mr. Vincent who's waiting in the photography studio. Adrien, you should put on the outfit I've prepared for you. Be ready in 10 minutes. You'll start while we pick out the shoes."

"Pointes? But I thought it was only the leotards. I have my shoes here." she pulled the old pointes out of her bag with a big smile on her face. Nathalie and Adrien sweatdropped. "They seem a little...worn out."

"Oh, right." she took a look at the shoes in her hand, noticing how worn out they looked and shoved them back in her bag. "Sorry," she tried to laugh it off, but the woman continued talking, probably pretending she didn't see that. "The Gabriel brand also launches a new pointe line every 5 years. You'll also be provided with free supplies if you wish."

"Umm sure. Thanks."

Free pointes? Heck, yes.

"Okay, have fun. You'll do great." the boy gave her a thumbs up and then walked upstairs, presumably to his room.

...

"I feel like the box is too tapered. Can I try another pair?" Avery asked, excited about the pretty pointes. Pointe shoe fitting was one of her favorite things to do. As weird as it sounded, she loved trying on new types of shoes, though she always ended up having the same Bloch Heritage model. But these Gabriels felt so awesome! "Yes of course. I also noticed that the heel is also slipping off. Maybe we should try another model."

"Yeah, that too. I'd also go with the hard shank if that's okay." the woman nodded and searched through the boxes on the shelves, checking the numbers on them. Then she stopped and took out another box. "Okay. Try these on." 

"Were you a dancer? You seem to know a lot about pointe shoes." Avery asked as she sat on the chair and put the shoes on. The woman's expression remained stoic. "Let's not discuss the unimportant details. What you should focus now, is finding the right pair for you to be in for the next few hours."

"Oh, okay." she then stood up and went to the barre. "Demi-plie." As commanded, Avery immediately went down into a demi-plie. "Try going on pointe. How does it feel?"

"Wow! Are you serious? They feel so light! I love them!"

"Good. They fit you very nicely. I'll send a few pairs to your address."

"Oh, that's really nice of you. Thanks."

"No problem at all. Now the last thing is the leotard. I've prepared the entire collection in the photography studio. Follow me."

Without a question, she followed the woman to the white room, where Adrien already posed in a black hoodie. "Is that my new modella!? Perfezionare! Adrien, let's finish this quickly so you can go have your free time, and I can work with my new Stella! You should go and change in the meantime."

Avery nodded and grabbed one of the leotards and the tights, heading to the bathroom next door. She looked at herself in the mirror. Those leotards were perfect. Good material, light, cute design. How did Gabriel do it? As Marinette said, he was one of a kind. The man designed everything! Sport clothes, horse riding shoes, jewelry, high fashion designs, winter jackets, glorious accessories, fencing suits, pointe shoes. Was there anything he didn't do?! She was amazed. Maybe this whole thing wouldn't be so bad. As long as it wouldn't mess up her schedule.

"OMG Avery! You're on the cover of the new issue of TEEN VOGUE! I can't believe this! You look so perfect!" Marinette stared at the magazine in her hand, inspecting every detail. "Look at her, Alya! How can she be so perfect!?" Avery closed the magazine, a light blush on her cheeks. "Marinette, stop. Don't make a big deal out of it. It's just a few pictures in a magazine," she tried to remain calm, fighting off her blush. Was that really her? She looked so...different. So perfect.

Too perfect.

"Oh, no, no, no," Alya corrected her. "It is a big deal, girl! You're way too humble. You're gonna be famous! Can I get an interview?"

"Alya! Not you too! I think you should stay with Ladybug and Chat Noir. They're more your style."

"True, but I still wouldn't mind interviewing you someday."

Avery giggled, "Sure. Someday."

"Hey Nino, Adrien, have you seen the new TEEN VOGUE magazine?" Alya asked the moment the two boys stepped in. "No! Alya!" Avery tried to grab the magazine from her but failed. The brunette threw it across the classroom, right into Nino's hands. "You look cool, dudette!" he complimented Avery, who shook her head in embarrassment. "Thanks, I guess. But the thing we should be focused right now is Marinette's amazing hat! Show me more pictures!" she ordered the girl and scooched her over, taking a look at her phone. "How did you come up with it?"

"Okay, so that's the funny story. There was this man, who fed the pigeons..."

Miss Bustier entered the classroom and Avery walked over to her seat, starting to chat with her seatmate, Alix, while the teacher began taking roll as usual. "Marinette! Congratulations on winning! I'm proud. I hope we'll see more of your creativity again. Same goes for all of you. I expect you to be creative! Think with an open mind, and you'll succeed in life."

"Listen to the teacher. She said an open mind, Chastain. Not everything is about ballet," Chloe snickered, turning around to look at Avery, who only smiled. "You too, Chlo. Not everything is about you."

"Hmph!"

...

It was night again. Avery was laying in the bed, deep under the covers, staring at the ceiling. She talked to her mother about the whole cancer thing. 

It didn't go well.

Her mother was an honest woman. Way too honest. She could've lied and spared her feelings, but... she couldn't. She was being mature about it and everything, but... how could a child take this kind of news? She had kidney cancer and was currently on chemo. Avery promised she'd be there for her, heck she'd even give up ballet for her. If it meant that she'd live, then she'd do it in a flash. But... Isabelle Chastain, the stubborn mother of Avery, wanted her to just live normally and try to forget about the whole thing. As if that was possible. How the hell was she gonna live without her?

She texted Kat.

Avery: 'Hey. I need to talk to you. Can you call me when you're free?'

She waited for minutes, hours even but...she didn't get a reply. Kat was probably fast asleep by now. It was 2 am. Kicking the covers off in frustration, she changed out of her pajamas and put on her clothes and shoes. She sneaked out. Again.

Like any time when she had to think, Avery stood at the bridge, her head in her arms, staring at the city of lights. She put her jacket on as a breeze hit her forearms, making her skin crawl. Why did she keep doing this? No idea, but it calmed her down. She could just tune out the noise and watch. This time, she didn't have the energy to dance. She felt too empty. 

"How come you're not dancing today? Thought you'd be happy getting on a magazine cover." A voice said. Avery didn't need to turn around to know it was Chat Noir.

"You too? Why does everybody care about a stupid magazine?! It's just a few pictures. It's not like I'll become a supermodel or anything." he sat on the railing, looking down at her sad face.

"What's up? Why are you so sad?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oh okay. Just don't let your emotions get the better of you. That's how you turn into an Akuma victim. I wouldn't wanna fight against a pretty lady like you. Though I think you'd look great in an Akuma costume," he wiggled his eyebrows... Avery burst into laughter. "And she laughs. I'm told this is one of the effects I have on the ladies," he said, running his clawed hand through his messy locks.

"You're such a dork."

"I get that quite often from My lady-I mean Ladybug!" he blushed quickly, trying to fix his slip up. Avery smiled, even though she felt something tugging on her chest. Was it disappointment? She thought that maybe...just maybe, he'd like her.

Of course, he'd go for Ladybug. Why wouldn't he? She's perfect. They fight crime together. They're perfect. "So, you're crushing on the superheroine, hah?" Chat scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "It seems like it. I might need a little work with that. She's a tough nut to crack." Then she remembered what flirt he was. He only saved Paris a few times with his partner, but everyone knew that he was a massive flirt. Besides, there was still time for love. She had other things to think about than some superhero she had a crush on.

"Well, honestly, you two would make the perfect couple. You're superheroes, she has the power of creation, you have the power of destruction. You're light day and night. Ying Yang. A perfect match. I wouldn't be worried if I were you."

"You think so? I guess it's only a matter of time then, huh?"

Avery sighed as another tourist boat passed by. "Yeah." Chat glanced at the strawberry blonde. She seemed so...lonely. “Hey, I don't know if it'll help, but if you ever wanna talk, I'm an option too, ya know? I might not be good at giving advice, but whatever's going on, I promise to at least listen."

"Thanks, I'll remember that. You're a great superhero. Ladybug will see that soon, promise."

"Okay! GIMME A HUG NOW! WIPE THAT POUT OFF YOUR FACE!" The strawberry blonde giggled as the boy wrapped her in his arms, pulling her in a big, warm bear hug.

"Thanks, Chat."


	5. Darkblade

Avery sat down at the dining table, ready to eat her bowl of cereal when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket, reading the text from Sean, who had just discovered that an average male dancer lifts over 1-1/2 tons worth of ballerinas during performances.

_’No wonder male dancers have such amazing bodies!’_ He typed again, making Avery laugh.

_Avery: 'Are you saying that we're fat?!'_

_Sean: 'How did you get that from my admiration of male dancers' bodies!?'_

_Avery: 'Idk lol.'_

_Sean: 'You girls are all the same. And no. You and the others are not fat. It's the muscles.'_

Rolling her eyes, she shoved the spoon of cereal in her mouth and looked at her mother who was lazily making her way to the kitchen, yawning loudly.

"Good morning, mom. How are you feeling today?"

_"_Morning," she replied, kissing both sides of her daughter's cheeks. "I'm fine. What about you? You're early today. How did they let you off before 8?"

"Madam Millier gave us the day off. She said we need a break. She thinks that we're too stiff and need to relax. Apparently, we just wouldn't straighten their knees so she lost it."

"That's good. You need to take a break every once in a while."

Avery sighed, pulling out her laptop and started typing something. "If only that were the case. She gave us a 10-page assignment on Stravinsky's Firebird which I need to finish by tomorrow. No worries though, I did 3 pages in half an hour with Sean already."

"Ah, Avery. You need to make time for other things than just ballet. We've talked about this so many times already."

"And you know I won't listen," she sang, continuing the performance video she was watching before.

"I know," the woman laughed, cutting a piece of the fresh baguette and spread butter and marmalade on top.

"Do you want some orange juice with that?"

"Yes please!" Avery passed her the bottle of organic orange juice and continued eating her cereal.

"Did you know that Kat's mom played the lead in Firebird last year? We went to see the show. The woman was flying, I swear."

"Mhmm, really? That's amazing. How is Katrina by the way? Do you still keep in touch? She should come and visit if she can."

The girl suddenly paused. "I'll tell her. I haven't talked to her in a while. I've been quite busy."

"That you were. With all the akumatizations that have been happening lately; no wonder you couldn't talk to her. Avery, you can't even breathe! Should I remind you that it's been only a week since you came to Paris? You have too many responsibilities! School, ballet, akumas, do you even have time to hang out with friends? Or have time for yourself?"

"Mom seriously. You should know that I have way more time here compared to when I was in St. Petersburg. Don't worry about it, we have plenty of time to hang out. In fact, I'm going to Marinette's house before my afternoon classes. We were planning to get some pastries with Alya."

"Didn't you say you have to finish your assignment?"

"Ugh..."

* * *

_"Ladybug and Chat Noir have saved Paris yet again,"_ Nadia Chamack, the newswoman said with a pleased smile on her face, pointing to a picture of Paris's popular heroes behind her and explained the situation, how they won again and whom they had to battle. 

"And yet again, Marinette hopes she'll finally have enough time to complete her magic box," Marinette, who had just transformed back to her civilian self, sat down in her chair and pulled out a pink box she's been working on for a while.

"What's the magic box for Marinette?" Tikki asked curiously, observing the girl twist the screwdriver, sticking her tongue out.

"To lock up my diary. And all my secrets."

"Every little secret?! You're telling me you write everything down in that thing?" Tikki panicked. "Uh, yeah...Something wrong?" she shrugged absentmindedly, not seeing the problem.

"Well, for one, what if someone finds out you're Ladybug? And two, what if someone finds out you're Ladybug!?"

"Not gonna happen," Marinette smiled confidently. "Try it, Tikki."

The red kwami curiously flew into the open box, but before she could even grab the book from its box, the lid snapped shut; preventing the shocked kwami to fly out. 

"Hey!"

"And it works!" The girl cheered happily, opening the box with the key to free her kwami.

_"Yesterday, Mr. Bourgeois was re-elected as mayor of Paris for the fourth consecutive term. Here we see Mr. Bourgeois with his daughter."_

Marinette groaned at the sight of her blonde classmate, proudly standing next to her <s>daddy </s>father and waving at the crowd. **"**Ugh! Look at Chloé, acting as if she were the mayor of Paris! Oh! Which reminds me, Class Representative Elections are tomorrow!"

"What's so bad about that?" the red kwami asked curiously.

"Chloé is running for class rep. The one person who cares the least about the students, and the most about herself."

"Well then, maybe you should run!"

"I totally would, but, don't you think I got enough to do with my duties as Ladybug and all my school work?" the red kwami nodded. "Yes, but, if you truly believe in something, you have to try and make it work. It's better to fail trying than not having tried at all! Don't underestimate yourself, Marinette!"

The red bug wasn't wrong. Marinette promised to give it some thought. But right now, she wanted to close her eyes for a minute. The peace only lasted for a few seconds before the news continued.

"Armand D'Argencourt, one of Bourgeois's opponents, and fencing instructors of Françoise Dupont High School were pummeled in the polls. In fact, D'Argencourt acquired the least number of votes in Paris History."

Her eyes suddenly switched to the clock on top of the screen.

_8.45_

"I'm going to be late for school! Again! See, this is what I'm talking about! I just don't have enough time!"

* * *

"Chloé is running for the Class Representative position, and Sabrina will be her Deputy. Do we have any other candidates?" Miss Bustier announced, motioning Chloé and Sabrina to move to the front of the class. They obeyed immediately, proud looks on their faces. It was as if they knew, they'd win.

"Yes, Kim?" Kim then raised his hand but halted when the two girls glared at him. "Umm, nevermind."

As Miss Bustier prepared to ask Kim why he changed his mind so suddenly, the door opened and Marinette barged in with a large apology for she was late again.

"I'm sorry! I-uh I-uh the bus?" then she suddenly got another idea and started coughing like there was no tomorrow. "Ehehehm, Dry throat!"

Avery quietly chuckled at her silly behavior, then continued to write her notes for the assignment, hoping Miss Bustier wouldn't catch her. The clumsy Marinette then sat down next to Alya. "Chloé's running again! She's been class rep since when? Kindergarden?"

"Why don't you run as a candidate? You'd make an awesome representative,"

"No can't do," the brunette shook her head. "My blog is a full-time job!"

As no one responded to her question, Miss Bustier sighed. "Alright, I'll give all of you until the end of lunch for you to decide if you'd like to be a candidate."

As the bell for lunch rang, the students ran out to the cafeteria, trying to get in the line as soon as possible before it got too crowded. Marinette and Alya offered Avery to sit with them, but she kindly refused, saying she had work to do. One skipped meal wouldn't make that much of a difference, would it?

The duo left for the cafeteria making Avery sigh again as she sat down on a bench and started her assignment.

_Firebird._

A magical bird with golden feathers which provide protection against the dark magic and glow like the sun.

"Hey, Chastain!"

God.

If she could only have one of those feathers right now. They could protect her against Chloé.

"I don't have time. Go away, Rapunzel." 

The blonde huffed in response, shutting her laptop shut. This made her turn Avery's attention to her cakey, over-powdered cheeks, and raised her eyebrows at the blonde.

"Look, Chastain. I think we can both agree that everyone knows that I don't like you."

It was pretty common knowledge in this school. The Chloé Bourgeois hated nearly everyone, but Avery was one of the few people she hated with a passion.

"Okay, and...?"

"Listen, I am running for the class president and I will stay the class president, as always. This means that I expect you to stay out of my way. If you'll in any way meddle in my business and run for the class prez, I'll make sure you regret it. You don't want me to spill your little secret, now do you?"

_What secret?_

"What are you talking about Chloé?" she growled through her teeth, eyes fixated on the blonde as she laughed loudly, turning some heads in their direction. Then, she leaned dangerously close, fixing a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear as a wide grin made its way upon her tanned face.

"I know what happened to your mom."

Avery froze immediately, clenching her jaw in anger, which made Chloé explode from laughter. "Oh, don't worry! I'll keep my mouth shut as long as we have a deal. No president business for you, m'kay?"

The thin ballet dancer questioned if her classmate was just bluffing or actually trying to tell her something. She couldn't have known. This wasn't just some common knowledge. The only other person in this school who was aware of this was Marinette. And there was no way Marinette told anyone.

Just the fact that she brought her mother into her game made her want to zip her mouth shut. But sadly, she couldn't make a scene. So she did what she did best. She calmed her nerves and let her majesty ramble while she opened her laptop again and continued where she left off. 

"Don't waste your breath, blondie. I'm too busy to play find the leader with you. You should know that I don't have time for those things anyway."

"Right. Is that why you keep ditching Dupain-Cheng and the 4 eyes? You're right; I should've known. You haven't changed at all, Chastain. It's all about ballet, ballet, ballet! I bet you don't even care about your mom anyway."

"That's enough Chloé."

Maybe her mother was right. Was she pushing her friends and everyone else in her life including the sick woman away because of her ballet obsession?

This never happened to her back in Russia. Everyone had the same goals and friendships were easy to maintain. They were a little competitive all the time, sure. But there was no drama like that because ballet was all everyone thought about 24/7. Here in Paris, she was thrown back in the real world. She had a life outside the dance studio and it made her uncomfortable. Mostly because everyone was right. She probably looked like an obsessed child playing with her pink tutu.

She'll have to make it up to them later. She just had to finish this first.

***

Marinette was furious. Furious with how much Chloé bullied everyone into submission, furious about how... how her way of leading was. Furious about how everyone just let her have her way! They were in the première already! Meaning, they were going to be 17 this year! People needed to learn to stand up for themselves!

So, she made herself go on a mission. Before lunch, she had to find a perfect candidate for the elections tomorrow!

**"**So what did Chloé say to you this time? Did she offer to go on a date with you?" Marinette glared at Kim, putting her hands on her hips. The boy looked away in shame.

**"**No, she threatened to tell everyone I'm afraid of spiders."

Then, she talked to Rose. "She told me that if I ran for the election, I'd get kicked out of scrapbooking club, and you know how much I love all those stickers, colorful scraps of papers, and gluing!"

Turning to Alix with big, puppy dog eyes she prepared to ask her the same thing. "I couldn't care less about being a candidate, and what's your excuse?"

Being Ladybug, saving Paris almost every day while fighting Akumas with Chat Noir, trying to keep up with her schoolwork, design some stuff to keep her motivation going, spend time with her friends and not be suspicious...Oh, you know, things like that. She also had to catch up on some sleep.

**"**Well, uh, um, I'm... really busy!"

"With what? Oversleeping?" Alya asked, chuckling lightly at the thought of her best friend being late almost all the time.

Mission failed. Miserably. She only had one more person to ask and she already knew the answer.

"What about you Avery?" 

"I hope you are joking, Marinette," Avery looked away from her laptop, raising an eyebrow at her friend. "I have approximately a million things to worry about. Including this stupid assignment that I need to finish by tomorrow. I can't put another thing in my schedule."

"Yea, I get it..."

"Look, I'm sorry. I would run, but I just don't have time. What about you? You could be a great president!" Avery suggested.

"I'm busy!" Marinette suddenly jumped in the air.

"With what?" Avery laughed, questioning her excuse. "Sleeping?"

"That's what I said!" Alya fist-bumped the strawberry blonde.

**"**Well, uh, you see, uh... I guess I would run if no one else did."

As lunch break ended, everyone made their way back to their classrooms, where they continued their discussion about the election candidates.

"So, are there any other candidates who would like to run against Chloé and Sabrina?" Miss Bustier asked, eagerly looking around the class to see if there's anyone who would beat Chloé since even her, the teacher was hoping the girl would get sat down once and for all.

As no one seemed to participate, miss Bustier let out a disappointed sigh. "Given that Chloé and Sabrina are the only candidates, there's no point in voting, so Chloé and Sabrina?"

"I'LL RUN!"

"Wonderful!" The woman clapped her hands with excitement walking over to Marinette. "You'll need to develop a campaign and have a speech ready by tomorrow! We'll vote tomorrow."

* * *

**"**So, let's hear the scoop on your campaign! How are you gonna represent?" Alya asked Marinette as she and Avery sat on the same bench as before.

**"**Represent?" Marinette questioned. "Uh, I have no idea. I still can't believe I raised my hand..."

"I'm sure you'll do great, Mari." Avery ruffled her hair in order to cheer her up. Suddenly, Rose, Nino, Ivan, and Juleka walked up to the trio.

"Way to go, Marinette! You spoke from the heart, it was truly authentic!" she giggled.

"Huh? Oh, uh... Thanks."

**"**When you win, can we get more comfortable chairs? They are so hard, I can barely concentrate in class. Maybe pink ones!"

**"**And it'd be primo if we could listen to our beats while we study in the library," Nino added.

**"**Uh, you know... um, I don't-, you know," Juleka stuttered, trying to participate in the conversation, but failed miserably.

"Um... Sure, Juleka." Marinette chuckled, suddenly becoming very nervous about her speech.

Alya tapped the girl's shoulder when she saw a certain blonde make his way down the stairs. "Adrien! Marinette can count on your vote, right?"

"Sure," he smiled softly. "Depending on her speech..."

"Better get cracking on that campaign, then."

Marinette then rushed home, ready to beat Chloé fair and square. Pulling out her secret diary, she jotted down the ideas for her speech, all while Tikki quietly observed her every move.**"**Softer chairs, music in the library, whatever Juleka said... I'm writing down everyone's issues! Now I just have to get all this in my election speech."

"I'm proud of you, I'm sure you're gonna win! You'll make an awesome class rep!" The red kwami exclaimed in excitement. Her owner was an absolutely amazing leader, she knew that. She just needed a little nudge sometimes.

**"**They're all relying on me to defeat Chloé. Even Adrien, do you realize that?"

"Who are you talking to?" A voice called out and the girl whipped her head to her trap door, her eyes widening as she saw her best friend entering her room. "A-Avery! What-What are you doing here!?" the girl panicked, shoving her red kwami inside her the pocket of her blazer.

"You forgot your Math book, silly. We have homework."

"Crap! I totally forgot!"

"You've been home for an hour! What have you been doing? Please tell me you at least finished your speech."

"I'm working on it. What about you? Did you finish your assignment?"

"I emailed it a few minutes ago. I'm so glad I did most of my work in school, now I have the rest of the afternoon off. I can help you with your campaign if you want."

"That would be amazing," Marinette smiled, finally getting her own share of Avery.

"Is that your diary box? It looks amazing!" Avery suddenly remembered how Marinette kept telling her about her newest idea, the secret diary box. That was three years ago, and she was so glad it ended up just as she imagined it. God, she was so proud of the future designer. Even a fool could see the talent she had, it was crazy.

"Yea...." Marinette's voice trailed off, hoping her friend wouldn't ask more questions. And as if she read her mind, Avery stopped and put the box back after inspecting it a little.

"Cool."

"Aren't you gonna ask more questions?" Marinette raised one of her eyebrows, still not used to the personality change of her best friend. She used to be so much more....curious, loud, nosy, energetic, and kinda annoying? Marinette had a hard time accepting that her best friend grew up without her. She wondered if the girl was just awkward since it was still her first week back in Paris; or that she replaced her with other, more important people.

"No... it's your diary. I don't wanna invade your privacy."

Her bluebells eyes darkened at the thought. She knew it was the reality though.

They didn't have much in common anymore.

"Plus, I'm sure the last pages are filled with Adrien's name and hearts." The dancer teased, giving Marinette a look and a nudge in the ribs. Just the name of her future beloved made her jump a little.

"W-WhAT?!"

But the dancer could still read her like an open book. She couldn't say the same thing. Her best friend became very hard to read.

Avery only giggled in response.

Suddenly Marinette's phone ringed and the girl identified Alya as her sudden caller. What could be the problem? Pushing the thought away, she answered the video call.

"Marinette, the battle's on."

**"**What's going on?" Avery asked.

**"**Chloé's invited the whole class to her campaign launch party at City Hall and she's got Jagged Stone coming, too!" Alya explained.

**"**Seriously? Jagged Stone, my favorite star?! I love him! Oh, and so does everyone else."

**"**Precisely! She's trying to buy student votes with autographs!"

Oh, that annoying _goose_. She took this winning too far.

**"**Not if I have anything to say about it! Meet you there in 10!"

* * *

"Wow, Mr. D'Argencourt, never seen you on fire like this! That was some attack!" Adrien laughed out awkwardly as his mentor beat him with just a flick of his wrist. It was his weekly private fencing lesson, where the boy learned so much from Mr. D'Argencourt; the best fencer in all of France.

**"**It ought to be. This particular maneuver hither was developed by my ancestor Darkblace." 

"Darkblade?"

**"**In the days of yore, Darkblade conquered Paris and ruled over it with an iron fist. Until he was overthrown by a wealthy Frenchman who used his dirty gold to buy the loyalties of the common people. To think that not so long ago, my ancestor's flag was waving above Paris..." the man explained proudly, helping the blonde boy up.

Their lesson was then rudely interrupted by the famous newswoman Nadja Chemack and a cameraman, who both entered the school building without permission to get a scoop from Mr. D'Argencourt on how he's feeling about potentially losing the elections.

"Is that what you ran in the elections, Mr. D'Argencourt? To seek revenge on your ancestors' behalf?" She asked, not caring about how rude of her it was to interrupt the lesson like that.

"Par le fer! Who dost we have here?"

"Nadja Chamack. Don't be bemused, it's just the news!" She turned to the camera for a second, doing her signature greeting, before continuing to question the man. "Do you have anything to say about your quote un-quote landslide defeat?"

"Hey, you! Excuse me! How did you get in the school?"

"I think it's time to get back to the studio!" the duo quickly turned around and left the ground property before they could get in more trouble as the caretaker approached them.

"Get back here!"

"Here endeth the lesson," Armand bitterly announced before walking away.

But just as he left the school, the annoying duo appeared again, desperately trying to get his opinion on the current situation.

"Mr. D'Argencourt, it has been said, and I quote, that you're "_stuck in the dark ages like a stubborn old rusted battle-ax_" What do you have to say to that?"

"Poisonous wretch! Dares't thou approach with such venomous questions. Begone, now, pestilent pain in the neck!" The man ordered, visibly bothered by their presence. And just as he walked passed them, he was met with a huge poster of his competition; André Bourgeois.

A sudden wave of resentment took over the man as he rose the sword and sliced the poster into pieces, ignoring the paparazzi who filmed every second. Only moments later, he got akumatized and turned into a medieval black knight.

_"Darkblade..."_ Hawk Moth introduced himself._ "In return for the powers I'm giving you, you'll capture Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous for me." _

The man smiled widely under his armor and rose his sword into the air to increase the dramatic effect. "When the flag bearing the emblem of my ancestors lies once again upon the roof of City Hall, then to thee I shall indeed be indebted!"

"Anything y-you'd like to say about your t-transformation into a-" Nadja stutter, suddenly regretting her decision of bugging the man when he was still sane.

"Darkblade! The lord of Paris!" he announced loudly, turning both of them into his warriors. "Thou shalt become my knights! Soon my army shalt be immense and unstoppable! We shall take City Hall by storm and reclaim the throne from Bourgeois the usurper!"

"Whoa, that's some medieval madness!"

Adrien, who was watching the whole scene from the staircase of the school pulled Plagg back inside, ignoring his bad puns. He ran back to the changing room and transformed.

"Plagg claws out!"

Just as Chat Noir found him again, the man had already hypnotized a good 30 people who were now chanting his moto: par le fer. The group started marching somewhere, but it was still a mystery to the black hero where they were going. Paris was huge after all.

"The people had their say and they chose Bourgeois over you, D'Argencourt!" He jumped in front of the group, determined to block their way.

"Thy peoples matter not to me. D'Argencourt was defeated, not Darkblade! En garde!"

The akumatized man charged at Chat Noir, performing the same trick on him as he did before on Adrien and it sent Chat flying the same way as before. His back hit the railing harshly and his staff flew on one of the banks of the Seine. Before he could make a move, he was surrounded by zombie knights. 

"Seriously? How did I not see that coming?" he laughed nervously, trying to think of a reasonable solution to get out of this unpleasant situation as fast as possible. Sure if he had any type of weapon he would've stayed and tried to take them all on, but without it, he couldn't even jump off the bridge and make it out without a scratch.

_He had to think rationally._

"Take him!"

_No time to think!_

As the knights started charging forward at him, Chat jumped on the railing and pushed himself off dramatically. 

"Salut."

Out of the two, it was Ladybug who thought rationally. Him? Not so much. He preferred to improvise. That's how he ended up hanging below the smelly bridge.

A small laugh escaped his lips when the knights looked around, confused when there was no splash in the river. He was so smooth.

_"_Nary a minute to be wasted! City Hall awaits us!" Darkblade ordered his knights to start walking.

"City Hall, huh? You go first. I'll catch up with you."

* * *

"I'm pleased to welcome you all to the official launch of Chloé's electoral campaign. And a special thank-you to world-famous pop-star Jagged Stone for endorsing her." AndréBourgeois announced proudly in the City Hall as he introduced Jagged Stone; a worldwide known rock and roll star.

_"_And, when you vote for me, you'll get free tickets to Jagged's next concert!" Chloé added proudly, knowing that she'd win as her classmates lined up to get an autograph.

Just as Marinette and Avery arrived at the crime scene, almost everyone had gotten an autograph and they caught even Alya sneaking one into her bag.

"Huh! Did you get an autograph?" Marinette approached the brunette, arms crossed. The brunette sighed. "Uh... Yeah, I got three actually. For you guys as well. Sorry, couldn't help myself."

**"**Nope, I'm not falling for it. But, I'll consider forgiving you if you vote for me." Marinette stayed put on her own ground, knowing that it wasn't right to take it.

"I mean I'll take it if she won't. Not a huge fan myself, but my brother is crazy for him."

"Heyy! Traitor!"

"Fine, fine. I was joking," Avery lifted her arms up in defense, letting her shorter friend know that she wasn't serious. Marinette took the hint and approached her other classmates.

"Don't you realize that you're all being bribed? Concert tickets are awesome, but they aren't gonna solve classroom problems."

"So what's your campaign then, Marinette?" Nathaniel asked.

"Well, um, I'm, um, thinking that cushions would be more realistic than buying new chairs. And I'll see about listening to music in the library. Through headphones, of course," she hurried, actually trying to solve the problems, not just in for the power like Chloé was.

"Remarkable. You actually sound like a class rep. Too bad you don't have a chance of winning. A word?" the mentioned girl showed up behind her, shoving her behind the pillar Sabrina was hiding behind.

The girl's hand was stuck inside of her diary box and she desperately tried to get it out. Marinette jumped in surprise.

_"_My diary! What were you doing-?"

"If you don't pull out of the race, all your secrets will be revealed." Chloé threatened her, knowing her threats work all the time. Heck, if they worked on Avery, they could work on the stupid Marinette.

"Don't-uh, I mean, uh, what secrets?" Marinette pretended as if she hadn't had anything to hide. Not like her identity as Ladybug was threatened. Or that her secret crush on Adrien was right there, beneath Sabrina's grasp.

"Ha! I guess we'll find out... as soon as I get my hands on a chainsaw!"

That cow.

Just as she was about to protest, the loud sound of trumpets interrupted them and everyone's attention turned to the doors and windows.

_"_O-ye, o-ye! Darkblade shalt speak now! Listen or be imprisoned!"

"Henceforth, my flag shalt fly over thy kingdom! Bourgeois, pathetic knave, come hither and do battle!"

"What did he say?" the major asked in confusion, his legs visibly shaking.

"Basically, he's gonna bust you up," Alya then explained and started to film for her Ladyblog.

"Ehh... Ask my secretary for an appointment!" the man responded in a rush and pulled the kids inside, slamming the door shut.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Bow down to Darkblade, or feel the wrath of mine sword!"

"Par le fer! Par le fer! Par le fer!" the knights chanted in unison as they started marching towards the doors. They were soon stopped by Chat Noir, who started fighting all of them, slowing down the process.

_"_Take him!"

"Guys, do you only know heavy metal?"

"Marinette, this is your chance to prove yourself as a good leader and beat Chloé," Avery implied, pulling her towards away from the group. The girls then rushed towards one of the windows, wanting to get a glimpse of the situation. The girls cringed as three of those brain-washed knights jumped on top of him.

_Ouch._

"Chat Noir...Hurry!"

The hero then pushed them all off with a swing of his baton and landed in a cool pose, knowing that he had an audience watching from behind the glass. 

"That was a nice warm-up!"

**"**Wait, do I hear the sounds of crazed fans? I can totally get them under control. "The rock star, Jagged Stone then stood up, thinking the noise outside was because of the kids posting on social media of how he was in the City Hall. He believed that there were his fans outside so he took out his guitar and left the building. 

He played some notes, oblivious to the situation, but then stopped when he saw Chat Noir and Darkblade fighting with their weapons. Chat was soon chased off by a group of knights. _"_Behold, a minstrel!"  
"Guys, guys, I know you love me, but no reason to fight over it."

"Are you the usurper's champion?"

"Say what?" He questioned, still not getting a grasp of the situation. Before he could react, the knight turned him into one of his own.

_"_Oh no!"

"What are we gonna do?" Rose asked nervously as the group watched the whole scene.

"The doors, quickly!" Marinette reacted, taking the lead since no one else seemed to do anything. Avery was right. This was her chance to prove herself! She needed to make sure everyone was safe so she could transform into Ladybug and put an end to this.

"The doors, quickly!" Chloé imitated her, wanting to be the one they listened to."Quick, Chloé!"

"Quick, Chloé! Oh..." Marinette smirked as she heard her classmate repeating after her.

"Kneel before thy flag of Darkblade! Bow down before mine eyes!"

Ignoring the medieval dictator, the class quickly locks the doors and tries to think rationally. Some of them are panicking, others not so much, and there are some like Chloé who hide waiting for someone to come and save them. When Rose saw how she hid behind the receptionist's desk, she ran over to her, asking her for advice. _"_Chloé, what should we do? What would a class rep do?!" 

"Well, if indeed you vote for me, I'll provide you with an answer. Tomorrow."

"But we can't wait until tomorrow!"

"Then you're out of luck. You'll have to ask someone else." Marinette rolled her eyes at the girl and then ran upstairs, wanting to consult with her kwami before she made a decision. "What are you going to do?"

"Chat Noir needs Ladybug, but the students need me, too!"

"Trust your instincts..." Marinette then rushed back downstairs, as she already made a plan in her head. She only needed her classmates to stay safe so she could go and help Chat.  
_"_Kim, Ivan, Nino, Nathaniel, lock the doors! Make sure all the windows are closed too, quickly! Avery, Juleka, Rose, Mylène, and Alya, you come with me!"

"Good job, girl! Now there's a future class representative in the making." Alya mocked Chloé who was still under the desk. "Well, I was going to say the exact same thing. Sabrina, Ivan, Kim, go lock the doors!"

_"_We have to barricade the entrance!" Marinette continued, making sure everything was under control.

"I hope they haven't gone too medieval on Chat Noir!" Nino added.

"It's time to retreat! Sir, we gotta get out of here!" Marinette asked the major, desperately wanting her plan to work.

"This way!"

_"_I'll catch up with you guys! I'll make sure all the windows are closed first!_"_ She reassured her friends, who were rather hesitant to leave her behind. When the coast was clear, she transformed.

**_"_**Tikki spots on!"

Outside, Chat Noir was still trying to distract the knights as much as possible but was slowly getting tired. Even heroes need time to rest and he wasn't getting much rest while getting surrounded.

"Back off, you tin cans!"

"Chat Noir, over here!" Ladybug shouted from the roof, throwing her yo-yo in front of him and pulling him inside. A sly smile crept upon his face as he realized his partner has arrived. He gave the knights a two-finger salute before he was pulled inside the building and landed rather ungracefully with his back against the wall and head on the floor.

_"_Sorry, Chat Noir. I was busy doing damage control inside." Ladybug apologized, scratching the back of her head.

"I was managing just fine by myself, you know. But it's always nice to see you."

***

"Pound it!"

This was the third time the duo had successfully saved Paris, and to be honest, they were growing used to it. It wasn't all that bad to be the hero of Paris. They just hoped those attacks wouldn't be too often, because they had their normal lives to live as well. Just as they bumped their fists in victory, Chat's ring started beeping, signaling that he was almost out of time. The blonde took notice of that and bowed to Ladybug smoothly before taking off.

"Gotta take off, see ya!"

* * *

When Marinette came back inside, she saw her classmates putting back the random things they had used as a barricade and others, helping Mr. Bourgeois check the security cameras to file the report. She made her way downstairs quietly when Chloé approached her. "So where were you? Safely hiding under a rock?"

"Very funny, Chloé. I got transformed into a knight."

"So did I! What a knight-mare!" Adrien suddenly showed up, running down from the stairs.

Avery narrowed her eyes at the boy. He wasn't there at the event before. How did he get in when all the doors and windows were still locked? When he noticed her eyes on him, he gave her an awkward smile and waved her way, but she ignored it, her full attention now on her best friend as she continued her conversation with Chloé.

"Now that this is all over, I want my personal items back!"

Personal items? Chloé denied everything when Sabrina jumped in front of Marinette, begging her to take the box off her wrist as it was blocking her blood flow and she said it was getting numb. "Thank you!"

"Got an explanation, Chloé?"

"I told you, I never took her diary! And I'm offended that you're accusing me."

"Then how did you even know my diary was in here?" Marinette asked again.

_"_Oh, well, uh... Sabrina told me. It was all _her_ idea!" The blonde stuttered, trying to blame it all on Sabrina. Like always. The class was very upset with the way she acted and they were surely not going to vote for her anymore. Free concert tickets or not; if you're rude, don't expect to buy everyone with money.

"At least now we know nobody voted for Chloé. You're gonna be our new representative!"

"Uh... Not so fast, Alya," the Asian girl stopped her friend.

"Hahaha! See? She's undependable! She's already throwing in the towel!"

"No, I'm not! I just wanna be voted in fairly, not because you don't wanna vote for Chloé, but because you believe in me! I'm not gonna make promises that I can't keep, and I'm not gonna be able to get you everything that you want. But I am resourceful and I know how to prioritize. I'm a good listener and a great multi-tasker. Representing you all is something I truly believe in. And most importantly, I believe in myself. So...Vote for Marinette, for class representative!"

Thrilled with her speech, the class erupted into loud cheers as they clapped for Marinette, who got elected as the class representative the very next day.

"I knew you could do it, Mari! You'll be a great class rep!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry for the long wait...I hope you enjoyed this chapter and make sure to add this story to your library if you like it. I'll look forward to every comment and any suggestions about the plot.
> 
> See you next time,  
Coocoo <3


	6. Copycat

"How about inviting him to a movie then?" The kwami of creation suggested to the love-sick Marinette, who was sighing over the photo of Adrien on her balcony.

"Right, Tikki. Can you imagine that conversation?"

"Hey, Adrien, would you like to gah— wuh, glah." Marinette giggled at the way her kwami imitated the Asian girl, who sighed, getting lost in thought again. "Exactly. I can't help it. Every time I see him, I get all clammy and I feel like fainting."

"So... basically the only way you could have a normal conversation with him is if you're blindfolded."

"Pretty much."

"There is a very simple solution for that, Marinette," Tikki replied. "It's called a cell phone. You just need his number."

"I know who'll have Adrien's number! " Marinette jumped up in excitement, calling her best friend immediately, only to slouch her shoulders when it went to voicemail. She was hoping the girl could help her out since she never seemed to get tongue-tied and knew how to talk to everyone. Including boys. 

_"Hi, this is Avery. Leave a message,"_

"She's meeting her brother, remember?"

"Ugh, yeah..."

"What about Alya?" Marinette leaned her on the railing, staring over the vast city of Paris sadly. The City of Love, they called it. Pfft, yeah. The only love she was looking for, didn't even know she existed. "She left went to Bordeaux with her family this weekend, remember? Let's just do this another day. I really need a nap right now. I should rest while I have the chance. I don't wanna keep making excuses for being late because I keep oversleeping."

"Okay, but you can't keep putting this off! You should tell him!" Tikki insisted.

* * *

Avery hummed a melody to herself as she skipped down the street, on her way to meet one of her favorite people at a local café close to her apartment. Today was Sunday, her one-day off. No ballet classes, no schoolwork to do. Her Sundays were always spent with friends or family. Last week was an exception because she was still unpacking her things, but today was her first real free day ever since she came back to Paris. Spending a few hours with her brother made it even more exciting.

"Elliott!" She called out when she saw a familiar mop of wavy light brown hair. The guy was sitting in a chair in front of a café, an iced latte in front of him. She could see the reflection of his phone on his glasses as he scrolled through his social media. He wore black pants, a simple beige turtleneck, and a black coat over his shoulders.

_'Fashionable as ever.'_ she thought to herself.

When he heard her voice, he looked up, big grey eyes locking with her blue ones and a smile appeared on his face as she waved to him. He stood up from his chair pulling her into a hug.

"Ah! Ma choupette!"

"Ugh, will you ever stop calling me by your stupid nicknames? I'm 16 you know? If someone I know hears you, I'll be embarrassed until I die." Avery said with a huge smile on her face as her brother pulled her in for another long and tight hug.

"I know you love it, soeurette," he teased her, pulling back to look at his sister properly. She was wearing a spaghetti strap lilac dress that reached to her midthighs, a black leather jacket over it, and a pair of white converse to complete the look. Her shiny strawberry blonde hair was tied back into a long french braid that reached up to her lower back, a few strands falling out, framing her face. With her pale complexion, the pink lip gloss and light eye shadow made her look enchantingly pretty when she smiled softly. "You're not wrong."

"Man you've grown! You're like an actual girl now." Elliott commented, motioning her to sit opposite him.

"You too! You've gotten so tall! Wait... An actual girl? What is that supposed to mean?"

"That you should watch out for boys. You need to introduce everyone to me before you start fooling around." She shot him a look, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You know I don't have time for boys."

"And it should stay that way! No sex until you're at least 20," he nagged, smirking when her cheeks became dark red. "Can you not? We're in public!"

"Oh, please. It's not like they know you, but I'm serious. You know how many girls want to prove that they're 'mature enough' so they get with the first guy that asks them out? I need to be the responsible brother because you're too young to understand that patience is a virtue, Avery."

"Elliott!" she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes to stop him from rambling. "I know. Now would you please stop talking before someone recognizes me."

"Right...now that you're a model, they might know you."

"Exactly, so keep it down!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down sheesh," he put his hands up in defeat. "Talking about modeling, where did you get that dress? It looks fabulous. Lilac is your color, sis."

"Oh, um, I actually have no idea. ZARA? Or Bershka? I can't remember."

Another disappointed sigh escaped his lips and he shook his head, fingers massaging his temples. "Sis, you might be a model, but you haven't got a clue about fashion or where to shop. It's quite upsetting, actually. I mean ZARA? At least you got lucky with that one. Next time you go shopping, _call_ me." Her tall brother sighed and Avery knew exactly why. He was an expert at fashion and on top of that, an intern at the Chanel's head office.

"Hey, not all of us are fashion students." 

"I know," Elliott sighed in disappointment. "What a crime, right?"

"I see you're still overreacting, like always."

"And I see that you've finally calmed down. You don't act like a tiger anymore."

"Very funny."

"Hey, I got you something." Avery suddenly remembered last week's incident at the City Hall and took a Jagged Stone CD out of her purse.

"No way! You saw Jagged Stone!?"

The two siblings then chatted like that over coffee for a good hour before Elliott got a text from his friend, Théo, who wanted to join them. He eyed the text suspiciously, as he hadn't seen him in almost two weeks, but then shook off the thought. The guy was in his anatomy class and was also an amazing sculptor. No reason to be suspicious, he was cool.

"Hey, you don't mind if one of my dudes join us, huh?"

"No, not at all."

"Great. He said he'll be here in 5. Do you want anything else to drink? You finished your coffee."

"Oh my gosh, do they still have those amazing milkshakes?" Elliott laughed, remembering how she used to drink 3 of those in one go. He stood up, getting his wallet out of his back pocket and shot her a wide grin.

"Be right back. Mango with almond milk?"

"Mango with almond milk," Avery confirmed, giggling at how well he knew her. Even after all of those years.

"Got it."

Just as he came back with two milkshakes in his hands, a guy, whom Avery supposed was his friend showed up, fist-bumping him. Contrasting her brother, the guy was dressed in old rags, with paint all over them so she could only assume he was his College buddy. Art students gotta stick together, right?

"You must be his little sister. I'm Théo," he offered her his hand, trying to keep it cool. "Avery. Nice to meet you," she shook his hand, smiling at the older guy politely.

"Nice to see you, man. You've been stuck in that studio of yours for two whole weeks!"

"I was given a special assignment. I'm almost finished."

"Yeah? What is it?" The brunet questioned.

"I'm doing a Ladybug and Chat Noir sculpture for the Place des Vosges. The unveiling will be on Friday. And Mr. Bourgeois will be the one to unveil it. You two should come."

"Oh, wow that's amazing! You're majoring in sculpturing then?"

"Yeah, it's my passion. If you wanna see more, you're welcome to come and take a look. I'm currently working on Chat Noir's head. It should be done by Wednesday."

"Sure, I'd love to see your work! I'm not sure if I'll have any free time until Friday, but I'll let you know," She would never admit it, but as soon as he mentioned the hero, she became curious. It's not like she had a crush on Chat, she just found him very... heroic. A light blush dusted her cheeks at the thought of his dreamy emerald eyes and golden hair.

Her strange behavior didn't go unnoticed by her older brother, who suddenly laughed out loud as he processed the situation. "No way! Are you one of those Chat Noir fangirls, sissy? Don't tell me you're a part of his fan club too!"

"What!? No! I'm not! Why would you think that!?" she mentally cursed at her body's betrayal as she could feel more blood rushing to her cheeks and her muscles tensing.

_'The guy has a fan club already? It's only been two weeks since he and Ladybug fist showed up!'_

Eliott gave her _the _look, his eyebrows raised and round golden glasses almost falling off his nose. "You really want me to answer that? You look like a cooked lobster. Just before you told me you have no time for boys and now I find out about your secret crush? Come on, Avery. You know what I always tell you; patience is a virtue."

"Eliott! Will you stop embarrassing me! I don't have a crush on him!"

The two guys only laughed in response, enjoying how awkward she was in front of someone she didn't know. The boy knew if they were alone, she would've kicked him in the face, making him shut up; but as long as he had someone on his side, his little sister got shy as a mouse.

_That hadn't changed._

So to avoid making the situation even harder for her, the two boys continued their conversation and gave her some time to cool off. She quickly opened her phone, checking through her messages on Instagram, oblivious to the fact that Théo kept stealing glances at her small posture. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw a message from her ballet group chat, asking if anyone is free to hang around with Sydney, Sean, Cheryl, Tom, and David.

_Avery: 'I guess I could make it. When are you meeting up?'_

"Listen Théo, remember that exam we're having in anatomy class next week? I'm missing some notes from last week and you seem to be better at drawing realistically than I am."

"Wait, you guys have classes together? But you have totally different majors."

"Hey, even fashion designers need to know the human body. I can't just go around making clothes if they won't fit," the girl nodded in agreement and took a sip of her drink.

"I guess that makes sense," her phone beeped again revealing a message from Sydney.

_Sydney: '1 o'clock. Wanna meet up at the park? I'm already there with Sean.'_

_Avery: 'Yeah, sure.'_

"Hey, I'm going to meet up with some of my friends. You guys have a good day! Oh wait, Eliott are you still coming to dinner tomorrow?"

"Yeah, how could I miss that, sissy."

"Okay, bye. See you too, Théo. I'll make sure to swing by to see your work."

She gave her brother kisses on each cheek, following the French tradition, and repeated the same action with his friend as she did not want to come off as rude. This gesture was typically meant for only friends or family, but some people did it also when they met new people. She usually did not, however, she did not want to look 'childish' or 'immature.' She took her milkshake, put her phone in her black purse, and then left for the park.

"Yo, why didn't you say your sister is a cutie? I'd totally bang her," Théo messed with Eliott, who shot him a dirty glare and slammed his milkshake down on the table.

"Dude, you better stick with that Ladybug of yours. Touch my sister and you're dead."

"Calm down, I was only joking."

"I sure hope so. Cuz she's only 16. That would be illegal. You're probably seriously desperate if you're checking out my sister. You need to get with some chick or you'll die in that studio of yours. Want me to set you up with Anais? She had a crazy crush on you in the first year."

"Anais? From the photography department?"

"I get that she's not a superhero but man, your standards are too high. Especially when you look like that," he continued, checking him up and down with a rather displeased look on his face.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Théo asked, putting his hand in front of his chest, pretending like he was hurt. Elliott only shrugged, taking another sip of his milkshake.

"Means exactly what it sounded like. Those paint stains look like a pigeon pissed itself on you."

"Hey! You're an art student, you know what it's like."

"Sure I paint sometimes, but I don't go out like that. This is Paris for god's sake. If you want to get the ladies, you need to look like you just walked out of a fashion magazine. Or just be like Chat Noir. You saw my sis; girls are crazy about him."

* * *

"I can't wait for the unveiling this Friday!" Alya jumped up in excitement during the lunch break. Today was Wednesday, one of those days when they couldn't sit with Marinette, because she had a different schedule and was in Spanish class. Her lunch break started an hour later, so Avery and Alya had to sit by themselves. Sometimes, some other students from the school would sit with them if there wasn't any more space in the cafeteria and they would chat a little, but usually, it was just the two of them.

"You're going too?" Avery asked, not really surprised. Alya was one of Ladybug and Chat Noir's biggest fans. 

"Of course I'm going! I need to cover this event for my Ladyblog!"

"Right."

"What about you? I didn't know you were a fan."

Avery shrugged in response, taking another bite of her tofu salad. "Well, my brother's friend is the one who made the statues. He invited me."

"Oh sweet! Is your brother coming too!? I haven't met him yet." 

"I'd be surprised if you had. He's so busy that he barely has time to see me. Sunday was the first time I've seen him in three years," the dancer rolled her eyes, then paused to think. "Then I suppose so am I."

"That you are. But I find your passion inspirational."

"Thanks, haha."

"So how was it? Tell me everything!"

"Oh, it was really great!" she smiled, thinking back. "I really missed him. I gave him the autographed Jagged Stone CD and he was so happy. Oh, and he told me that my fashion sense is horrible! He's taking me shopping this weekend. Apparently, I need to look good in public or something."

Alya giggled. "Must be nice having a fashion designer as a brother, huh?"

"Hmm I don't know about that, all he does is criticize my outfits. But as long as he's paying, I'm not complaining. I'll dress well for the unveiling so he'll stop blabbering for once."

"You're so weird, girl."

The week soon came to an end, and the unveiling was about to take place. Avery and Alya had been talking about just meeting at the event, so none of them would have to go out of their way to meet the other.

But just as Friday came to an end, the unveiling was the last thing on Alya's mind as she received a desperate call from Marinette.

The girl was finally going to confess to Adrien! If it went well, Alya was ready to turn this day into a holiday in her honor. So just as her classes ended, she made a run to Marinette's, her strategy materials in hand.

"Look, we all know improv's not your bag, so just stick to this script," Alya ordered, handing the notebook to her friend. Marinette looked down at the script, looking a little disappointed. "But all the teachers say I don't sound natural when I read."

"Then memorize it. It's pretty simple. You can do this. Just don't improvise. Got it?"

"Forget it! This is never gonna work!"

"Too late. It's _dialing_." Alya smirked, pressing the call button on her phone and then hid behind Marinette's chaise.

_"Hey, this is Adrien's voicemail. Leave a message."_

"It's gone to voicemail!" the girl panicked.

"Leave a message! Don't improv!"

"Uhh, hello. Uh, Adrien's voicemail," Alya facepalmed. There was no way she was turning today into a holiday. "Uh, this is Marinette, who, uh, has a message for you, of course, cause it's, uh, your phone, so, umm... Callmeseeyoulater, bye!" Wanting to finish this mess quickly, she threw the phone on the chaise and then rolled over to Alya on her chair. Her brunette friend gave her a look. The what-the-hell look.

"What? What did you expect me to say? _'Hey, hot stuff, this is Marinette, I'd ask you on a date to a movie, but I've got such a crazy crush on you that the only way I can talk to you without foaming out the mouth is over this stupid phone.' _Pretty ridiculous, right?" She laughed.

_"If you wish to hear your message again, press 1. If you wish to erase your message, press 2."_

"Hit 2! Hit 2!" Alya panicked as Marinette threw herself on the chaise, lunging for her phone and typed something furiously.

It wasn't two though.

_"Message saved. Goodbye."_

_._

_._

_._

"It's not as bad as you think."

"..."

"Okay, it's bad. But you were gonna have to tell him one of these days, some way or another. Think of it this way: no more secrets!"

"The voicemail recorded my whole conversation," Marinette cried out, ready to dig herself a grave.

"Big deal!"

"I called him _"hot stuff"_. He cannot be allowed to hear that message, Alya! If he does, I'll die of shame!"

"Okay, okay. I got an idea. If Adrien's phone went to voicemail, it means the dude's busy. Which also means you can get to it before he does. Hmm, I wonder where he'd be..."

"Of course! He's got fencing club after school, that's why he didn't pick up! It ends in exactly twenty-two and a half minutes." Marinette jumped up, her mood fixed as she pulled down a huge calendar and with it Adrien's schedule, hearts in her eyes.

She had a chance of survival!

"You are seriously insane. You know that, right?"

* * *

"Gotta get a drink of water. I'll be right back." Adrien announced to his fencing partner, jogging lazily to the locker room, opening his locker only to find his kwami eating the last piece of Camembert on top of his sports bag.

"Plagg, you pig!"

"You have 1 new message," Plagg burped.

_"_Move, please, so I can check my voicemail. Hmm, don't recognize this number." he shrugged off the thought, checking the clock. "Oh no, now we're late! Time to transform, Plagg!"

He ordered, and just in a matter of seconds, he was already parkouring the roofs of Paris, on his way to the park where the event was being held.

"Woo-hoo! Yeah-ha-ha! Ha! Hahaha! Hey, everybody!" his voice was heard by Marinette and Alya who had just made it out of the building, ready to sneak into the school.

"They're unveiling Ladybug and Chat Noir's sculptures today! I totally spaced!" Alya gasped.

"Me too."

"Uh, you never mentioned going to the unveiling before. It was Avery that said she's going. I was supposed to meet her any time now."

"I'm not, I mean, I am! Uh, I mean, I forgot?"

"Listen. About Adrien's cellphone, what if we go right after?"

"If we wait after the ceremony, Adrien's fencing training will be over, and he'll have his phone back by then," Marinette explained, her hands shaking. She could not let Adrien hear that message!

"Shoot. I gotta cover this event for the Ladyblog...I'm sorry, Marinette!" The brunette gave her an apologetic look, but Marinette only laughed nervously, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't sweat it. I can manage. I think!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, yes. I'm sure."

"Cool. Good luck, and stay out of trouble. And don't improv!" She gave the girl her last piece of advice before taking off to the park across the street.

"Isn't Ladybug supposed to be at the unveiling?"

Tikki asked, finally coming out of her blazer for some fresh air. Marinette sighed."Yes, but Marinette needs to be at the school first."

"But it is a ceremony in _your _honor."

"And it's _my_ honor that's at stake right now. I'll be in and out of there in five minutes. We can be at the ceremony in no time!"

* * *

_"_I'm sure you've outdone yourself, Théo," Mr. Bourgeois praised the student. He had seen many of his works before and had even hired him to do a sculpture of him back in the city hall. He was one of the most successful young art students in the country and also received numerous scholarships and job offers. That's why after seeing his talent, the major single-handedly picked him to be in charge of this important task.

"It was my honor. And I can't wait to meet Ladybug, I hope she'll autograph the photo I used as the inspiration for the statue," he looked up the sky, hoping to catch the glimpse of his heroine as she would swing right to his side.

"Oh, it's nearly time. Ladybug and Chat Noir should already be here by now."

The only one who landed beside him, however, was the black cat. A frown drew itself on the young sculptor's face as minutes passed.

"Excuse me, Chat Noir, but Ladybug's not here."

"Don't worry about Ladybug. I'm sure she'll be here any minute. I can handle this situation alone for now. I'm the one in charge anyway, you know," he bragged, waving to the fans who screamed in joy. This just proved his point. He had the situation under control.

"It's just that, I wanted to ask her to autograph this photo. She's amazing. She's so brave and smart, the way she always saves everyone..." Chat narrowed his eyes at the man, a hint of jealousy behind his mask. Knowing that there was nothing to be jealous about, he brushed his act off as pure admiration for his lady. She deserved fans.

"Perhaps the ceremony should commence. It might bring her here faster." The major suggested, scratching the back of his head, unsure what to do. The event was very important, and he did not expect the one and the only heroine herself to be late.

"Please, just one minute more, Mayor Bourgeois, she's going to come, I can feel it..."

Minutes passed and the crowd was getting impatient. Chat was sitting at the foot of the statue, not allowed to go to the crowd as it would cause a 'ruckus' as Mr. Bourgeois called it. The ceremony had to commence, with or without Ladybug. The major of Paris was a very busy man, and being late, wasn't good neither for him or his overpacked schedule. Thus, he commenced the ceremony, unveiling the bronze statues which shone in all their glory.

"It's only proper for Paris to pay homage to those to protect us from evil. Ladybug and Chat Noir!" 

"Can I get some photos for the Ladyblog?"

The unveiling went smoothly. It was supposed to be a grand ceremony in Ladybug's and Chat Noir's honor. But as Ladybug failed to show up, there wasn't much to celebrate. Sure Chat kept the crowd occupied, but it still felt like something was missing. Maybe some red decorations and a little bit of her's charm.

"Hey, Théo. I love your work! I guess Elliott really wasn't exaggerating when he said you got talent. Sorry, he couldn't come. He had work," she explained, fixing the strap of her handbag back on her shoulder.

"Avery, you came! And don't worry about him, he's already seen it... But I'm glad you like it."

"Do you happen to sell your work? I'd like to get my mom something nice."

"The whole point of being a sculptor is to make a living, so I'd be glad to. If you want you can come to my workshop later. I still have some unfinished pieces that might need some feedback."

"I mean, I'm no art critic, but I'd love to, yeah. Maybe I'll find something for her."

"Great, then I'll give you the address."

Even though the main heroine didn't show up, the whole event was still a lot of fun. Avery kept trying out various deserts with Alya as she took pictures for her Ladyblog and even scored a short interview with Chat Noir. The rest of the event the girls just danced, talked with strangers, and listened to various stories about how the superhero couple not only saved the people of Paris from Akumas but also from other problems in their civilian life. There was an older lady, whom Chat Noir saved from getting robbed and assaulted, then also a boy, whom Ladybug saved from suicide.

Suddenly, the two friends build up immense respect for the two heroes. Being so selfless and being ready to go to such limits when it came to the safety of the Parisiens, they were really two in a million. 

They really were the perfect couple. 

Avery's heart kind of ached at that. If only she could be so amazing as well. 

"These statues are amazing. One thing's slightly off though— I'm actually taller than Ladybug." Théo looked down in disappointment. His favorite hero, his idol, his _love,_ didn't show up.

Ladybug didn't show up. I just wanted to express my adoration for her. Let her know that everything I had went into her statue. I'm sure if she took a little time to get to know me, she would see how much we have in common. Our devotion to the things we love," his daydreaming went a little too far for Chat's liking. He had nothing against harmless fans, but this guy seemed to be living in the clouds. Like Ladybug would ever fall for him. He had to show him who was worthy of her love.

"Hey, don't mean to burst your bubble, but you know, Ladybug and me, we're a thing, you know?" he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, grinning goofily.

"Really?"

"Yeah, we're like this," he crossed his fingers, demonstrating how close the two heroes were, which wasn't completely true. After telling him off, he left, ready to go back to the fencing class as Adrien.

"A thing, huh? You don't even take _love_ seriously. Calling it a thing... You don't deserve her! _I_ do!"

* * *

"They're coming! Put back the phone!" Tikki warned Marinette as she desperately tried to unlock Adrien's cellphone.

"I haven't erased the message yet!"

"We're out of time and we really ought to be getting to that ceremony, come on!" Gritting her teeth, she slammed the locker shut and took the phone, hiding before anyone could see her then sneaked out the same way she sneaked in, quietly as a mouse.

_"Whew! That was rough. Haha."_

* * *

"Ugh, where is it?" Adrien panicked, searching through his bag for the tenth time in five minutes. He was sure he put his phone back in his bag, but it must've fallen out. Or he forgot it at the gym. Or-

"What are you looking at me for? I didn't eat it. I swear!" Plagg defended himself, arms high in the air. Adrien only rolled his eyes and then tried calling himself.

_"Hey, this is Adrien's voicemail. Leave a message."_

"Ugh, it must still be at the gym."

He asked his bodyguard to drive him back to the school. He had some very important stuff on his phone and it wasn't like him to just lose his belongings. As the two were on their way, he turned on the mini television at the back of the front seat, stunned by the news.

"And in some astonishing news, there's been a spectacular theft at the Louvre. Amateur video showed without a shadow of a doubt that the thief is none other than the famous hero, Chat Noir."

_What?_

"Don't mind me. Just stealing this painting. Go about your business."

"Hey!"

What the video showed was without doubt Chat Noir with Mona Lisa in his hands. Except that he was here. In a car. 

"This painting is the cat's meow."

"Cat's meow?" 

As soon as they reached the school, Adrien ran out to find a safe place to transform and find this imposter. Whoever it was, they should've been more creative. There's no way anyone would've believed that terrible pun.

_'Cat's meow? Don't make me laugh.'_

"Not only is that person a fake, but he's also a terrible fake!"

* * *

Just as promised, the dancer walked to Théo's workshop after the unveiling, excited to see more of his work. Avery's secret passion was art. She wasn't good at it, but she loved looking at it. Her mother was a well-known artist as well. That's why she loved visiting museums with her mother before she went to Russia. She hadn't been to one in so long that the need to see some artistic works started to itch terribly. So a free tour of one's private studio seemed like a great idea. Especially if she could get something for her mother. The fact that she didn't actually know the guy completely slipped off her mind though. 

As she arrived inside, she closed the door carefully behind her and walked forward, amazed by works of art that the place was filled with.

Man, he was talented.

She saw various study sketches of mostly Ladybug and some of Chat Noir as well. She walked to see one of them up close and then touched the black charcoal that stained her fingers. Shoot. Was she not supposed to touch that?

"Oh, you're here." A familiar voice made her jump and turn in surprise. When she didn't meet Theo, she tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean I'm here? What are you doing here?" She asked as her blue eyes met the same emerald eyes she had been dreaming about just a few minutes before at the ceremony.

_God._

Maybe she really had a crush on him.

"Oh, Théo asked me to wait here. He got...held back."

"Does it have anything to do with the Mona Lisa behind you?" she pointed to the painting that stood proudly against one of the walls. Chat smiled and she returned it immediately, feeling incredibly comfortable with him. There was no reason to not feel safe around him; he was the hero of Paris after all. 

"Isn't it wonderful?" he asked, entranced by its beauty and put his lollipop back between his teeth.

"Um yeah...I mean it's Mona Lisa...Wait, is that the real thing?" she curiously walked to the painting, completely ignoring Chat's presence and the way his eyes darkened. She crouched in front of the painting, observing the expensive-looking golden frame with big eyes. "No way, it looks so real!"

"I know, right?"

"By the way, do you know when Théo's coming back? He was gonna show me his other sculptures of you..." she trailed off, still amazed by his workshop and walked from one art piece to another. "and Ladybug! You and ladybug haha!" her cheeks burned as she realized her mistake and quickly tried to fix it. Surely, he didn't notice.

Right?

She wasn't too obvious. At least she hoped so.

A shiver ran down her spine when she didn't receive an answer from the hero, finally noticing the way he's been looking at her. The unfamiliar look in his eyes almost made her heart race, but not in a good way. He looked kinda scary.

But surely it was just her imagination.

"No idea," the hooded look in his eyes disappeared with the scary aura as his playful smirk lit up his face while he tried to show off his muscles, striking a few cool poses. "He just told me to wait here so I could pose for him. Apparently, he got a few similar job offers. Ladybug and I are pretty popular these days," the superhero explained.

"But surely you knew that already."

He made it nearly impossible for the dancer to admit the wink he sent her way didn't have any effect on her. Chat Noir made her _feel_ something. The first time it happened was just when she met him; when he appeared out of nowhere, like a clap of thunder. After that moment, every time she saw him, her stomach turned in knots. She wasn't sure why, but it happened. In fact, it was happening right in front of him and she had no idea how to react without melting down on spot.

"Um, yeah, that's great! Then, I should get going."

"Where's the rush?"

He then asked with a dangerously low tone in his voice, pulling the lollipop out of his mouth with a soft pop. The dancer laughed nervously, trying to think of a way to get out. She was getting incredibly uncomfortable because every time she saw him, her hands started to shake. And as a very calm person, she hated the feeling of nervousness. She hated being nervous. It didn't happen often, but when it did, her brain froze up in a matter of seconds.

"Do you have a crush on me?"

"What? No! I don't!" 

"Are you sure?"

Her brain froze when he started walking towards her, pushing her against the wall. Her head turned to the side, avoiding eye contact and his warm breath on her neck. God.

He was _too close_.

"Stop." 

The hero showed no intention of stopping as one of his clawed hands lightly caressed her side, then gripped it harshly. Avery yelped in surprise, making Chat laugh softly as his other hand went up to her cheek, forcing her head his way.

"Chat."

"You look so pretty today."

His eyes stared intensely at her, trying to take in her every feature before he leaned in for a kiss, which she tried so hard to avoid. It's not like she didn't want to kiss him; she just wasn't ready. It didn't_ feel _right. Plus, she didn't even know him that well. Everything was just happening so fast, she couldn't process her feelings. Did she really want this? Or was her heart racing just because of her crush? The nervousness soon became too much. She needed to step out and get some fresh air. Her lungs felt like they were going to explode from all the oxygen she held inside, too scared to breathe out.

"Chat."

"Shhh. Patience is a virtue, dear." He joked.

Patience is a virtue?

What the hell-

"Get off me!"

The girl finally screamed and pushed him off of her as she felt her body shaking. He laughed innocently, putting his hands up in the air. "Okay, okay. It was a joke. I was just messing around-"

_There was something wrong with him._

"Who are you?"

"What do you mean? I'm Chat Noir."

"He wouldn't force himself on me! He's a hero!" She yelled again, eyeing the door, which was quite far away. With her heart racing against her chest and blood rushing to her head, she couldn't think straight. There was no time to think of a reasonable plan anyway, she had to get out. But if she made a run he was bound to catch her. He was obviously faster, stronger, and had a weapon.

But she had to try.

"Well if you know him that well, you should wait for him to come and save you, you ungrateful brat," the impostor growled, chasing after her after she made a run for the door. Just seconds before Avery reached the door, the cat pounced on her, slamming her against the floor, holding her arms on each side of her head. 

"Let me go!"

She pleaded, dizzy from the way her skull hit the floor. There was a sudden ringing in her ears, and she had a hard time making out her captor's features. Everything was just blurry and spinning. 

_"Good, now you have a hostage. Getting the miraculous should be a child's play. Do NOT fail me." _

Chat's eyes glimmered as a purple glowing mask appeared on his face. Avery could hear the low and terrifying voice of Hawkmoth as he talked to this Akumatized person. Sudden fatigue hit her, and she suddenly a very hard time keeping her eyes open.

"Getting sleepy?"

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was a devilish grin that lit up Chat's features.

"Nighty night."

* * *

"Ugh, of course, Adrien would own one of these super-expensive high-tech smartphones. I can't even figure out how to work this thing." Marinette groaned in frustration, wiping the screen of Adrien's phone screen with a cotton swab.

"Maybe it would help if you took off those silly mittens," Tikki suggested.

"And risk leaving fingerprints? No way." 

Her phone suddenly rang, and she answered it with her nose, as her hands were occupied with baking mittens.

"Problem fixed?" Alya asked and Marinette put off her silly mittens so she could prevent her phone from falling as she spoke with Alya.

"Almost. I haven't erased the message yet, but I'm working on it as we speak."

"No way. You palmed his phone?"

"Yes? No? Uhh... I mean, I was planning to give it back. Actually, where are you? I can use some help. Is Avery with you?"

"No can do. I'm waiting for additional deets at the Louvre on the Cat Noir robbery. And I was going to ask you the same thing. She isn't with you either? Maybe she went home."

"Wait, wait. Hold up. What? Somebody robbed Cat Noir?"

"No, girl. Didn't you hear? Cat Noir came in and stole the Mona Lisa! In broad daylight! Ladybug's gonna turn up for sure, and I do not wanna miss this. Just chill and I'll be over later." The girl hung up as there was a noise heard in the background.

"Kay. Cat Noir is a lot of things, but he's no thief. Time to transform!"

* * *

"Whoa! Easy, tigers! You've got the wrong cat! That thief's an impostor. I'm the real Chat Noir!" Chat tried to defend himself as he slid down the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre to meet the officer. "Let me check out where the robbery took place. I have a knack for finding clues. You know, animal instincts," he joked, fist-bumping officer's chest.

"Of course. Come with me. Thanks for your help, Chat Noir."

Agent Roger led him in the museum, to the Dennon Alley, a place where they kept the most precious Italian paintings of 1250-1800 and french paintings of 1780-1850. Just as he walked in, he kept his eyes on anything suspicious but found only an old lollipop stick. Lost deep in thought, Chat Noir hadn't noticed that the officer wasn't by his side anymore, but waited at the entrance of the alley. He certainly wasn't expecting him to press the button and trap him with metal bars.  
"Hey! I'm the real Cat Noir! I'm way slicker than _that_ guy."

"Kitty's in the slammer. I repeat kitty's in the slammer." the officer announced through his walkie-talkie before leaving, letting the soldiers do their thing.

Outside Louvre, behind an army of soldiers, Mr. Major stood there with Agent Roger, waiting to see how the situation would resolve. Just a minute later, Ladybug arrived at the scene. _"_Mr. Mayor, this is ridiculous. I'm sure there's a simple explanation."  
"Kitty's in the slammer, Ladybug."

"Don't think you're gonna keep him in there—"

"Now, now. Leave it to the experts, Ladybug. We've got it under control," the officer assured, feeling overly confident in what he said.  
"Hmph!"

Meanwhile, in the museum, Chat Noir used his Cataclysm power to break the bars and free himself. Just as he was about to leave calmly, he is confronted by police officers.

"Thanks for the warm hospitality, but I gotta split, so... I'll just say this one more time. You've got the wrong cat!" 

_"Chat Noir is getting away!"_

The moment she heard that, Ladybug rushed into the museum, followed by Agent Roger, where they found at least 50 soldiers who were once prepared to attack, on the ground, limbs too tired to move. _"_Well, if he's so innocent, then why is he running away?"

"Well, if you were wrongly imprisoned, wouldn't you run?"

"Requesting assistance, I repeat, requesting assistance. We are in pursuit of the suspect..." While Roger demanded for back up, Ladybug received a call from her fellow partner. She smugly sneaked out of Roger's view and headed for the roof, answering the call.

"Chat Noir, what's going on?"

_"You know I'm innocent, don't you, Bugaboo?"_

"Stop playing around and calling me Bugaboo. This is really serious!"

_"I'm gonna find the real culprit and save my tail. I'll get back to—" the call was interrupted as a helicopter rushed to the roof, where Chat Noir was hiding, forcing him to fleed._

"Huh?"

"Give yourself up, Chat Noir!" Roger demanded through the megaphone, watching the fleets chase him through the streets.

"Aren't you gonna go after him?" he asked the heroine, already suspicious that she was in this with him. They were partners after all.

"Uhh, I'll leave it to the experts."

Chat Noir ran as fast as he could, parkouring throughout the city, trying to find a safe place to detransform. When his eyes set on a metro station, he lunged himself down the narrow stairs, detransforming in the dark and walking through at the other end.

"Come on, let's get him!" the cries of stressed police officers were heard on the other side of the street, but Adrien continued his way calmly.

"If you want my opinion, I'd say the thief was akumatized,_" _Plagg suggested, to which Adrien nodded in agreement. 

"That much I had figured. See that lollipop stick? The sculptor. How did I not see that jealousy coming a mile away?"

"Yours or his?"

"Haha, so funny."

* * *

As Chat Noir found the location of Théo Barbot's workshop, he let himself in through one of the ceilings windows, landing gracefully on his feet. He was extremely careful to not make a sound because he had no idea what this guy had planned. Even though Chat had no question that he was more powerful, smarter, and better looking, he had no idea how twisted this Akuma might've been. There was definitely a catch in there somewhere. So he had to keep his eyes peeled. He warned Ladybug about how he found his location before doing anything stupid and then proceeded to walk around, searching for his copycat. 

In the middle of the warehouse, there stood a small wooden box with a cute Japanese Cat Doll made of ceramics, the one you could see in every street in Japan, they were also very popular decors. He even had one in his room; as a souvenir from when he went to Tokyo with his mother. They made the place feel homier and apparently brought good luck. 

Too bad it wasn't what he was looking for. Chat preferred black cats anyway. 

Ignoring his unimportant thoughts he grabbed the note in front of the doll in his hands and read it.

"Cat's in the bag?"

Suddenly, he was in metal chains.

_"_Cataclysm!" but before he could destroy the chains, his hand was suddenly slammed onto a metal tile, that disappeared in dust. Then a moment later, Copycat stood in front of him, the exact replica of the blonde hero looking right back at him, grinning devilishly.

_See? He meant this kind of twisted._

"Don't get what Ladybug or that girl sees in you. A fool who so easily falls into my trap. Just like that cute little dancer."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, just a friend of yours apparently. She's fast asleep back there on the couch; no need to worry," he walked to a door, opening it and pointed at a navy blue couch where a girl lied unconscious. Chat immediately recognized her by her long, shiny strawberry hair that fell off the couch and was touching the floor. He also noticed how her legs and wrists were tied together, making it impossible to move even if she was conscious. 

"Let her go!" 

"Um, how about...no? I enjoy scaring little mice like her. She might have a concussion though, so it might not turn out to be so fun in the long run. But I'll see to her needs once I finish with you. I mean if you want to have fun the other's gotta at least be awake, right?" Copycat threatened as the door once again, making it incredibly clear that he had an advantage in this situation. One wrong move and he could hurt Avery-even more than he already has.

Growling at his words, he reached behind his back to get his baton, with which he could've at least slowed him down. He let out a small gasp when it wasn't there.

"Looking for this? Which one should I pick up? My one or..._my_ one?" The Akuma asked as he received a call. It was Ladybug.

"Ladybug, hurry up. I've caught the impostor at Théo Barbot's workshop."

"I'll be there in a minute!"

"Don't come here, Ladybug! It's a trap!"

"Too late, Cat. Ladybug's on her way, which was my plan all along."

"She won't be duped. She knows me too well."

"I know you well too. And from now on, she'll love me, not you!"

"Love me?" Chat questioned, one of his eyebrows lifted in confusion. Then, he caught onto his own lie, smirking. "...You're right! She loves me! That's why she'll be able to reveal your true identity!"

_"Copycat, stop this small talk and get me Cat Noir's Miraculous!"_

Just as he was about to pull on his Miraculous, Ladybug made her grand entrance, swinging herself in the workshop, gracefully landing in front of the two cats. "There you are," Copycat smiled sweetly, enchanted by her beauty.

"Chat Noir! He really looks like you!"

"That's because I am me!"

"Where is his Akuma?" The heroine asked.

"Inside his ring, of course. Grab it." As she was about to take a look at his ring, one of his paws disappeared, indicating that he has already used up his Cataclysm and that he was going to detransform soon. "He even has the same powers as you."

"Simply amazing, isn't it?"

"Ugh, Ladybug! He took Avery Chastain as his hostage! She's in the room in the back! Go help her! I'll take care of him."

"He's trying to trick you; Ladybug. He probably set a trap."

As confused as she was, Ladybug did not want to risk anyone's lives. Especially not her best friends. She glared at the two heroes, trying to figure out who to believe.

"If you don't believe I'm the real Chat Noir, ask him about our love for each other."

"Uhh..."

"Have I ever lied to you, Bugaboo?"

_'No. Never.'_

***

"No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize! Bye-bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug de-evilized the Akuma, letting her partner take care of the poor Théo as he returned back to his normal, civilian self while she untied the ropes on her best friend, who had woken up in the middle of the fight. She tried to escape the room but ended up falling on the floor. 

"Nice catch!"

"I'm so glad you could tell the real cat from the fake one." Ladybug chuckled. "Once I figured out which cat was really in love with me, it was a no-brainer."

"Better help the fellow out. His crush just got crushed," he motioned to the student on his knees, trying to figure out what happened. When he saw that she crouched down to him, he turned his attention to the dancer, who had already recovered thanks to the power of Miraculous Ladybug.

"That makes two of us."

_'No, three of us.' _Avery thought as a headache from the earlier fall subsided. She felt better physically, but as soon as she recalled what happened, her hands went all cold again. "Hey, you okay? Need help getting home?" Chat crouched down to her level, putting an arm on her shoulder. 

"Don't touch me," Avery snapped, slapping her hand away. When she saw Chat take a step back, she stood up, reached for her purse, and ran off without a word. 

What was up with her?

"Ugh... What happened? What am I doing here? Ladybug?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it this morning, Théo," the heroine apologized. She had no idea her absence would make such a big impact on the poor boy. She had seen the statues, yes and they were absolutely amazing, but she felt unworthy when she ditched the ceremony in her honor for some stupid crush.

"Can you autograph it for me?" 

"Of course I can! You've got some real artistry here. You've really captured my essence."

"Thank you, Ladybug. And don't worry. I know about you and Cat Noir. It's okay."

"Huh?"

_'What did that cat do again?'_

* * *

"If you wish to hear your message again, press 1. If you wish to erase your message, press 2."

Since Marinette didn't have enough trust in handling the buttons correctly, she gave Alya the phone, knowing she wasn't clumsy enough to press 1 again.

"Your message has been erased."

Phew. A sigh of relief left her lungs, and she felt a huge weight drop off her shoulders. "You know what? I'm gonna tell him I found his phone. That'd be a good way to start up a conversation, wouldn't it? And I'll invite him to the movies."

"That's my girl." Alya gave her a high five, knowing that she could do it if she really wanted to.

The next day the duo walked to class, carefully listening to Adrien's and Nino's conversation upfront. Adrien complained about how he lost his phone and had no idea where it was.

"Maybe you dropped it somewhere."

"Well, if I did, then, whoever has it found it in the boys' locker room. I was checking my voicemail in there during fencing practice."

"Do it now!" Marinette then carefully slipped it inside his bag, causing it to slip over just a second later. Poor Adrien looked confused, questioning his sanity. Was Plagg playing tricks on him again? 

"Huh? What in the... I already looked in here a thousand times!"

"You need some time off. Hey, I know, let's go to the movies tonight."

"Hey, dudes, mind if a few friends tag along?"

"Sure thing!"

"Yay!"

"Hey, Avery? Do you wanna come with us to the movies?" Alya asked, giggling at the way Marinette jumped in the air. Avery didn't seem to bother to even look at the group, hurriedly packing up her books and made her way for the door.

"I've got ballet class, sorry."

"What's up with her?"

"No idea."

* * *

"Ugh," a small grunt escaped her lips as her hip collided with the hard ground beneath her. Her head was aching and her whole body was so heavy to lift. She has been feeling like collapsing, but she knew it wasn't from when she hit her head. When Ladybug returned everything to normal, she healed her concussion, so it couldn't have been that.

She was just so tired.

Sydney reached out her arm and pulled her friend up, checking if everything was okay. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm out of it today."

"Miss Chastain! Nobody likes a sack of potatoes falling on stage! Everyone I want your full attention! To the barre, first position!" The dancer ignored her teacher's rather rude comment and ran to the barre, her heels touching each other as her slim fingers gripped the barre.

"I'm saying this again and I'll keep repeating it until you all get it through those thick skulls of yours. Mastering the basics is the key, meaning if you can't do a proper turnout after all those years of your classical training, you can just get out of my class." Madam Milliner explained with a serious expression on her face, her black heels clicking with every step she made as she walked towards Avery.

"Why did she fall?" she asked the class. When she didn't receive a response, she sighed.

"You overrotated your leg, leaned forward, and because you couldn't support your weight, you sank like Titanic. Next time if you don't want to dislocate your knee, you should turn out from your hips. But you all already knew this, right?" The class nodded. It was one of the most common mistakes ballet teachers corrected them over and over again.

"Then why do you keep making the same mistake!?" she slammed her pinboard against the mirror which made everyone jump. "Not just Miss Chastain, but everyone in this class has made this mistake at least once since the semester started." 

_'Well, so much had happened ever since the semester had started. Don't even get me started on yesterday's incident at the workshop.'_

Suddenly memories of yesterday's event came flooding through her head, clouding her thoughts. This incident had brought back some unwanted memories that Avery worked so hard to forget.

Ugh, her head hurt just thinking about it.

The way his hands gripped her waist, and the way he trapped her against the wall, it all triggered a switch, reminding her of some unpleasant events. It didn't help that the Akuma had the face of the guy she was crushing on. She needed some time away from the masked hero. She needed to stop walking straight into the fire because every time there was an Akuma attack, she seemed to be there. She always saw him. And so she had to stop doing whatever she was doing wrong.

This stupid crush had to disappear.

Avery hadn't realized that Madam Milliner was staring daggers at her.

"You are distracted!" she snapped her fingers in front of Avery's face and scoffed as the girl came back to the real world. "Am I boring you, Miss Chastain?" she asked, her voice low and eyes burning with rage.

"No, Madam," Avery gulped, straightening her back.

"Then make it look like you're at least trying."

"Yes, Madam."


End file.
